A Critical Reflection on the 2002 Presidential Election in Zimbabwe

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	A Critical Reflection on the 2002 Presidential Election in Zimbabwe
Author:	Shumba, Gabriel
Year:	2002
Periodical:	African Human Rights Law Journal
Volume:	2
Issue:	2
Pages:	327-346
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Zimbabwe
Subjects:	elections 2002 presidential elections civil and political rights Politics and Government History and Exploration
Abstract:	Zimbabwe held a crucial presidential election from 9 to 11 March 2002. This paper critically examines this election in the light of international human rights standards guiding electoral practices. It is based on information from the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (ZHRF), newspaper reports, the Internet and reports from international groups. An examination of the political and legal background to the elections (the Election Directorate, ED, the Electoral Supervisory Commission, ESC, changes to the electoral law); the events before the election (voter education and registration); fundamental freedoms in relation to the elections (freedom of expression and information, freedom of association and assembly, freedom from violence and intimidation); polling and post-election events; and the things that went wrong in Zimbabwe (flaws in the electoral system; the lack of transparency; the advent of a strong opposition; the land question) shows that the 2002 Zimbabwean presidential election was neither genuine and legitimate, nor free and fair. Notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]