Africa Up Close

Below is our summary of an article that can be found on African Arguments. Please visit the original source as well.

An article posted on the blog African Arguments and written by Julie Gallagher, a lecturer on international relations at Royal Holloway, University of London, captures excellently not only the undercurrent of confusion and anxiety surrounding Zimbabwe’s upcoming July 31st elections, but profiles the independent citizens who are “holding the line” as election observers. Thus far, things have been peaceful. Amid calls for non-violence, the ZANU-PF of current President Mugabe and rival Tsvangirai’s MDT-C  have instead been taking media swipes at each other and are striving to motivate the populace for support. But that is not to say the buildup has been without event: flows of misinformation are prevalent; Mugabe was walked out on during a lengthy political speech on the 24th; Tsvangirai, meanwhile, was greeted by an empty venue; members of both parties have called for postponement; soldiers participating in early voting may have been forced to vote in front of commanding officers, and much more.

Given the potential for electoral fraud adding to public fears of violence (citizens from crowded areas of the capital are in the process of fortifying their homes) and concerns over already botched process (the MDT-C contends that possibly 60% of potential voters have been disenfranchised by a rushed, overly-bureaucratic registration procedure), election observers worry about how to ensure public confidence that votes will not only be private, but will count. These observers are not just any volunteers; they are individuals nominated by civil society organizations all over the country and who are trained by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network in law, procedure and fraud detection. However, the question remains: are they up to the massive task in front of them, in a country with Zimbabwe’s history of electoral struggles?

To read Dr. Gallagher’s take on these people who are “holding the line” to ensure fair elections, make sure to visit the blog post on African Arguments here.