lack of an independent judiciary in Zimbabwe perpetuates impunity for government interference in the electoral process. The public has little trust in the courts and consequently often will not bring cases before them. Many of the cases of violations during the electoral period against government and ruling party supporters brought by opposition parties in 2000 and 2002 are still pending in the courts.7 State-Sponsored Violence and Intimidation against Opposition Members and Human Rights Defenders in 2007 The 2008 elections come in the midst of widespread human rights violations occurring across Zimbabwe, and an ever-deepening economic crisis.8 Developments in Zimbabwe in 2007 have had a profound effect on prospects for a free and fair election. Incidents of political violence perpetrated by the police and other state agents against human rights defenders, journalists, and opposition members have intensified the climate of fear that already existed in the country, and affected the ability of the opposition to build its party structures and prepare for the elections. Incidents of police violence and intimidation increased significantly in January and February 2007, culminating in the arrest and beating of more than 50 opposition members and civil society activists including Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Harare-based faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), on March 11, 2007.9 This precipitated a widespread crackdown on the opposition and people perceived to be opposition supporters in the high-density suburbs of Harare. In late March and early April, the Tsvangirai-led MDC’s campaigning structures were effectively disrupted when more than 30 of its officials were arrested and tortured in police custody, after police accused them of carrying out a bombing campaign in the 7 Human Rights Watch interview with MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa, Harare, February 21, 2008. 8 In January 2008 inflation was officially at 100,000 percent and the country is experiencing severe shortages of fuel and key food items. 9 Human Rights Watch, Bashing Dissent: Escalating Violence and State Repression in Zimbabwe, vol. 19, no.6 (A), May 2007, http://hrw.org/reports/2007/zimbabwe0507/. In 2005 the MDC split into two factions: one led by Morgan Tsvangirai and with its base in Harare, and the other led by Arthur Mutambara and with its base in Bulawayo. All Over Again 10