IS THE DEMOCRATISATION PROCESS NEAR COMPLETION IN ZIMBABWE? IS IT POSSIBLE ANYWAY? 2008 has been characterized by a myriad of political and civic society activity. The 29 March harmonized watershed election saw the people of Zimbabwe voting in an entirely different manner from all the previous general elections. Since 1980, no opposition political party had garnered more votes than the ruling ZANU PF party. However, on 29 March 2008 the opposition Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T) turned the tables as it won the majority of the House of Assembly seats, the local government elections and subsequently beat ZANU PF’s Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Nonetheless, the MDC could not be declared the presidential election winner as it failed to garner the required 50% + 1 vote as per Constitutional Amendment 18. Therefore a run-off election had to be held with the two candidates with the highest number of votes. The delay in the announcement of the election results by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) resulted in the delay of the holding of the run-off election. The run-off election was later held on 27 June 2008. It was a shame one man race as the MDC candidate withdrew from the race as a result of more pronounced torture, harassment, beatings, unlawful arrests, displacements and numerous deaths of MDC supporters. The run up to this run-off election was characterized by anarchy, brutal political violence and massive human rights violations. The state media became more polarized especially in the run up to the run-off. The state owned ZBC TV and Radio stations denied to flight the MDC-T adverts arguing that they created an impression that the MDC-T had already won the election hence there was no need to hold a run-off. The nearer the election grew closer, the more intensified the violence and human rights abuses became. At the moment many are still traumatized by the pre-election terror, many have lost their homes, their loved ones and confidence in the electoral process. The rural populace suspected to be opposition supporters is living in fear. The ZANU PF candidate in the run-off, R.G Mugabe solemnly declared during a campaign rally that one can not be proclaimed president simply because the majority has dipped their little fingers in ink. The war veterans some of them not so young declared to take up arms if Mugabe lost the election. If a candidate declares that no one can take over power through an X, then it means that an election process is just but a formality that can not determine the ultimate winner in that specific election. How then can democracy be achieved where you compete in a race that you are guaranteed not to win even if you win? As the world commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year, Zimbabweans and the world need to critique their roles in making the democratization process possible? If the military junta can hold 12 million people at ransom only to keep a geriatric leader in power, then Zimbabweans need mourn rather than commemorate with the world.
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August, 2008