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The first general election in Zimbabwe since former country president Robert Mugabe was ousted from power last year will focus as much on how the poll is won as on who wins.
to legitimize his government since the 94-year-old dictator was forced to retire by the ruling party in November following a military takeover.
Since his replacement, President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his followers Zanu-PF The movement has abandoned its dictatorial approach to governance in favor of the principles of democracy.
They argue that the main objective of the party is to rebuild an economy shattered by the destructive policies implemented by successive Mugabe regimes. are not enough of a party accused of using violence, intimidation and manipulation of vote
"Zimbabwe is open to business," was Zanu-PF's mantra when he was dealing with the investment community since November 1969. But for most people, good intentions are not enough. accused party of violence, intimidation and vote To rebadure stakeholders, for the first time in 16 years, the government has invited hundreds of international election observers from the West to join regional and local observers to oversee the electoral process.
To date, pre-election violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe has been much weaker than in previous years, which has led some groups of observers to say that the electoral environment is the most best for decades.
Mnangagwa's badbadination attempt last month at a Zanu-PF election rally in Bulawayo highlighted the fragile nature of the situation and the way in which internal struggles for the power of parties can undermine it [1]. 9659011] Supporters of President Emmerson Mnangagwa at an election rally in Mhondoro, Zimbabwe Photo: Philimon Bulawayo / Reuters "height =" 349 "src =" http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3576400! /image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/image.jpg "width =" 620 "/>
In addition, the Zanu-PF remains closely aligned with the military, which, according to experts, will be a cause for concern if the party loses the elections, because it remains to be seen whether the army will accept such a result.
and civil society groups are also concerned about the impartiality of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), an institution that oversees elections in a non-partisan manner.
In recent days, an alliance of opposition parties led by the Movement for Democracy Change (MDC) has highlighted the key issues related to the transportation and storage of ballots that he wanted to deal with with the ZEC before the election.
"We have made specific requests to ZEC on storage and the ability of agents to escort" MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora told the newspaper Daily News of Zimbabwe
that the MDC Alliance went so far as to threaten the boycott of the elections.
Concerns were also expressed about the design of the ballots, which would favor Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF, as well as the disposition of polling stations, which could compromise the right of voters to vote in secret.
The MDC president threatened to boycott the poll Wednesday because of the ZEC's refusal to address his concerns, but in the end, Nelson Chamisa, the MDC leader, said the party had decided to stay involved .
"We will defeat the referee and the player," he said at a press conference in Harare. "We will not allow them to get by with their shenanigans."
In response to protests from the MDC, the Southern African Development Community's observation mission confirmed that it was concerned about the legitimacy of the process and warned that it "Poll."
About 5.6 million Zimbabweans are registered to vote in Monday's elections and 23 candidates run in the presidential race. Fifty-five parties are also facing legislative elections, the largest number by far in the post-colonial history of Zimbabwe.
Mnangagwa and Chamisa are the favorites in the race for the presidency. The first is a hero of the liberation struggle and a party activist who has supported Mugabe for decades, while the latter is a lawyer who took over the MDC from its founder, Morgan Tsvangirai, who died in February
. in resonance with voters, especially young people
When the political party campaign began, many badysts said that Zanu-PF would retain power for two reasons: it had ousted Mugabe after 37 years in power and would have benefited from the goodwill that resulted; and the MDC without Tsvangirai talismanic would be a shadow of his old self.
However, if the latest election poll of Afrobarometer researchers is accurate, the energy and charisma of Chamisa resonated with voters, especially young people.
At the end of July, the survey asked 2,400 adults that they wanted as president. And his result showed that 40% supported Mnangagwa while 37% supported Chamisa
So at this point, the presidential election seems too close to the horizon
What is much clearer is that international investors want to see signs of reinstatement of the rule of law in Zimbabwe before engaging in the country's economic development.
An election deemed free and fair by international observers will provide this badurance. Without such approval, Zimbabwe may well remain the pariah state it has been since 2002.
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