RACE AGAINST TIME The Need for Legal and Institutional Reforms Ahead of Zimbabwe’s Elections Zimbabwe’s unity government, which consists of the former ruling Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions, is failing to implement reforms agreed under the Global Political Agreement aimed at preparing the country for credible, free, and fair elections. Many Zimbabweans in and out of the country are concerned that without the implementation of necessary reforms there will be widespread human rights violations ahead of, during, and after the elections expected to take place in 2013. Race Against Time: The Need for Legal and Institutional Reforms Ahead of Zimbabwe’s Elections examines, among other things, the key laws affecting elections in Zimbabwe, and other laws and regulations impacting on human rights, including the current and draft constitutions. Human Rights Watch calls on Zimbabwe’s unity government to urgently implement legislative and institutional reforms to ensure a level playing field for all political parties. The unity government should ensure that relevant institutions such as the police, the judiciary, and the electoral commission rigorously implement appropriate laws and processes to prevent violence, hold accountable perpetrators of abuses, and make certain that political parties and candidates enjoy equal access to the media. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) should independently assess and certify that conditions are right for the holding of elections that comply with the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections before it clears Zimbabwe to hold elections. Residents of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, line up to cast their vote in the country’s presidential election on June 27, 2008. © 2008 AP Images hrw.org