Election Date: June 27, 2008

Abstract: At stake: President, House of Assembly

At stake: President, House of Assembly

Background

The former British colony of Rhodesia became independent as Zimbabwe in 1980. Robert Mugabe—who had led the struggle for sovereignty under the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) banner—became the country’s first prime minister. In 1987, Mugabe amended the constitution to become president, and merged his political organization with the Patriotic Front (PF) of Joshua Nkomo to form ZANU-PF.

In February 2000, Mugabe’s government faced a major crisis, as hundreds of farms owned by whites were seized by blacks who claimed the territory as their own. Mugabe later called for a public referendum to modify the constitution and extend his tenure. The electorate rejected any amendments, with a turnout of less than 20 per cent. In June, the ZANU-PF held on to power, electing 62 lawmakers to the House of Assembly. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) took control of 57 seats.

In 2002, Mugabe earned a new six-year term in a presidential election deemed as "deeply flawed" by foreign observers and human rights organizations. According to the MDC, more than 200 opposition supporters were killed during the electoral campaign.

The British Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe in March 2002, under suspicion that the presidential ballot had not been fair. Britain and the United States also imposed some economic sanctions against Mugabe’s government.

In 2004, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai criticized the government-sponsored Public Order and Security Act (POSA), claiming it has affected his party’s rights. In the course of eight weeks, law enforcements officers relied on the legislation to stop at least 11 political rallies. Similar public acts by ZANU-PF were not interrupted.

In March 2005, voters renewed the House of Assembly. Mugabe’s ZANU-PF secured 78 seats in the 150-member legislative branch. The MDC accused the governing party of "massive electoral fraud."

Click here for 2005 Zimbabwe House of Assembly Election Tracker 

From May to July 2005, the government implemented the "clean up" program. Tens of thousands of dwellings—mostly located in shanty towns—were destroyed. The United Nations (UN) estimated that close to 700,000 people were left homeless as a result of the policy.

In August 2005, the governing Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) used its majority in the House of Assembly to pass a series of constitutional amendments, including one that reintroduced a 66-seat Senate.

The creation of a new upper house led to more divisions in the African nation’s political scene. Mugabe loyalists argued that a Senate was necessary to improve legislation, while the opposition MDC claims the new body was created to accommodate supporters of the current regime.

In the November 2005 Senate election, the opposition MDC went into crisis mode due to different positions on how to face the ballot. While Tsvangirai called for a boycott, at least 26 MDC members registered to participate as candidates.

Many people followed the boycott decision. This and other factors resulted in an extremely low voter turnout, at less than 15 per cent. Tsvangirai said the low turnout amounted to a "vote of no confidence" in Mugabe.

Final results gave the ZANU-PF control of 43 of the 50 elected seats, with seven going to the MDC. The process left MDC divided in two factions. Since February 2006, Arthur Mutambara has been the leader of part of the MDC, while Tsvangirai remains as president of the other faction.

Click Here for Zimbabwe’s 2005 Senate Election Tracker

The situation in Zimbabwe continued to deteriorate after the Senate ballot. Inflation reached 585 per cent in 2005, and approached 1,000 per cent in 2006. Private sector estimates suggest the figure is much higher.

In December 2006, ZANU-PF announced that they would seek to extend Mugabe’s term in office until 2010. On that year, presidential and parliamentary elections would be "harmonized."

In March 2007, the opposition MDC organized a public rally against Mugabe’s government. Police arrested and physically attacked several protesters, including Tsvangirai, prompting worldwide condemnation of Mugabe’s regime. Mugabe banned political meetings and prohibited political opponents from leaving the country.

In September 2007, representatives from ZANU-PF agreed to meet with members of the MDC in South Africa to discuss constitutional reforms that would include allowing for simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections in 2008. Some changes were agreed upon, including the decision to hold an early double ballot. However, the opposition stated that there is little room for dissidence and independence in Zimbabwe.

More than five million people have left Zimbabwe over the past decade, seeking refuge mostly in South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique. The country’s unemployment rate reaches 80 per cent according to recent estimates, with 68 per cent of the population living in poverty. HIV/AIDS incidence is extremely high; it is calculated that about a quarter of the population is infected.

2008 Presidential and Legislative Elections

Incumbent Robert Mugabe has been nominated by the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU) as its presidential candidate.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is demanding that constitutional amendments agreed upon in South Africa be implemented before the ballot takes place, or otherwise the opposition party will not participate in the elections. Mugabe has said the changes can only be put into operation after the vote.

Three new political parties are contesting the ballot: the Zimbabwe People’s Progressive Democratic Party (ZPPDP), the Zimbabwe Integrated Party (ZIP), and United Democratic People’s Constitution (UDPC)

In the first week of January, Nelson Chamisa, spokesperson of Tsvangirai’s faction of the MDC, called for the government to disband the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), calling its work "illegitimate, militarized and unilateral."

On Jan. 12, a Zimbabwean independent newspaper reported that former top civil servant and publisher Ibbo Mandaza is organizing a group of businessmen, senior civil servants and other personalities that have historically backed ZANU-PF to promote a presidential candidate that would challenge Mugabe. According to the report, the candidate would be former finance minister Simba Makoni, who has been a member of Mugabe’s party for a long time.

On Jan. 14, High Court judge president Rita Makarau warned that parties using political violence would be dealt with by the justice system, and said that Zimbabweans lack political maturity as they have engaged in "some kind of violence to score political goals."

On Jan. 15, Arthur Mutambara’s MDC faction declared itself ready for the ballot and willing to register candidates.

On Jan. 16, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) and other groups launched "Operation Take Them All", a campaign to support pro-Mugabe candidates in the ballot. Their statement read: "The ZNLWVA being the vanguard of our revolution, and committed to the preservation of our national sovereignty, liberation and the gains of our long, bloody struggle for independence is embarking on yet another mission to defend our motherland. The mission is to ensure the total victory of our party ZANU-PF in the forthcoming harmonized elections."

Also on Jan. 16, the Tsvangirai-led MDC called for the government to allow the indiscriminate entrance of foreign observers to monitor the upcoming vote. Party spokesperson Nelson Chamisa declared that the MDC "will push for international observation and monitoring of the elections at least three months before the polls, plus equal access to the media. This would push the election to May at the earliest."

Three days before, justice minister Patrick Chinamasa had said: "Our stance on foreign observers is that they are not a legal requirement. (…) We do not have to allow people to come here to legitimize or delegitimize our electoral processes and outcomes as a means of furthering their interests."

Also on Jan. 16, Tendai Biti, the MDC’s secretary general, announced the party was organizing a protest for the following week in order to push Mugabe’s government to accept the implementation of the constitutional amendments agreed upon in South Africa. Biti said that the march would be "dubbed the freedom walk and is intended to highlight the suffering and plight of Zimbabweans, our demand for a new constitution before the elections and most importantly an even electoral field."

The protest took place on Jan. 23, and was dispersed when the police used tear gas.

On Jan. 26, the government announced that the double ballot would take place on Mar. 29. Mutambara expressed dismay, saying, "At the moment the conditions in Zimbabwe do not allow for free and fair elections and so we are heading towards illegitimacy if we go ahead with the elections."

On Feb. 14, the government acknowledged that inflation has surpassed the 66,000 per cent mark.

On Feb. 15, three candidates were officially registered for the presidential election. Incumbent Robert Mugabe will face long-time opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, as well as former ZANU-PF member and former finance minister Simba Makoni. The MDC faction led by Mutambara will back Makoni in the ballot. If no candidate is able to garner at least 51 per cent of the vote, a run-off would be held within 21 days.

On Mar. 9, in a gesture that was interpreted as an attempt to buy votes, Mugabe distributed tractors, harvesters and cattle. Human rights organizations said peasant farmers were forced to chant ZANU-PF slogans in order to qualify for the upgrades.

On Mar. 10, the European Union (EU) issued a statement on the election, which stated: “The Council remains very concerned about the humanitarian, political and economic situation in Zimbabwe and conditions on the ground. (...) (It) may endanger the holding of free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections.”

Also on Mar. 10, Mugabe signed a new law which calls for all foreign and white-owned businesses to hand over 51 per cent control of their operations to blacks.

On Mar. 20, Tsvangirai decried a plan to count all the ballots in a central location—instead of at each polling station—declaring, “I will not be part of an illegal process.” The opposition has also stated that the names of dead people appear on the electoral roll.

The changes in the electoral law, enacted two weeks before the ballot, also allow police officers to enter polling stations. While the government has defended the measure as necessary to help disabled voters, the opposition believes it could lead to coercion. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa declared: “Mugabe is trying to find ways to manipulate the electoral outcome. We are really concerned at this last-minute change.”

Tsvangirai also expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to print 9 million ballot papers for 5.9 million registered voters, adding, “We need to know why there is such a big difference. ZEC has to explain that, hence we have resorted to courts for recourse. The integrity and credibility of ZEC and the election result is very questionable.”

On Mar. 27, Mugabe discussed his views on the election, saying, “When you join a political fight by way of an election, you must be prepared to lose. If ZANU-PF, wins, [the opposition] must accept it; if you win, we will accept.”

Voting took place on Mar. 29. By Apr. 4, no official results from the presidential election had been released by ZEC. Tsvangirai claimed that a count of numbers posted on the doors of individual polling stations gave him more than 50 per cent of the vote.

On Apr. 4, ZANU-PF spokesman Didymus Mutasa said Mugabe would take part in a run-off, adding, “We’ve suffered a blow, but we’re not out for the count. Of course Robert Mugabe will stand. Who else would it be?’’

On Apr. 7, the Commercial Farmers Union claimed that ZANU-PF supporters invaded 23 white-owned farms in Masvingo Province. Mugabe declared: “The land is ours; it must not be allowed to slip back into the hands of whites.”

Also on Apr. 7, Tsvangirai filed an application on the High Court seeking to compel the ZEC to release the results of the election. South Africa president Thabo Mbeki discussed the situation, saying, “I think there is time to wait, let’s see the outcome of the election results. If there is a rerun of the presidential election, let’s see what comes out of that. I think that is the correct way to go.”

On May 2, chief electoral officer Lovemore Sekeramayi announced the results of the first round. Tsvangirai garnered 47.9 per cent of the vote, followed by Mugabe with 43.2 per cent. The MDC described the tallies as “daylight robbery.”

On May 13, Tsvangirai said he would take part in a run-off against Mugabe, but called for election observers to be present.

On May 16, the ZEC revealed that the second round would take place on Jun. 27. Tsvangirai called the date “illegal” and accused the government of “changing goal posts to suit themselves.”

Also on May 16, foreign affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said that all domestic and foreign electoral observers who participated in the first round would be invited back for the run-off. 

On Jun. 1, Mutambara was arrested at his home in Harare, allegedly over the inclusion of “falsehoods” in an article he had written for The Standard in April, where he blamed Mugabe for the dire state of Zimbabwe’s economy. Upon his release on Jun. 3, Mutambara declared: “We will triumph over evil.”

On Jun. 4, Tsvangirai was detained near Lupane, along with other MDC officials and his security team, allegedly over holding an electoral rally without permission. The MDC described the arrest as “part of a determined and well-orchestrated effort to derail our campaign programme.” Tsvangirai spent nine hours in custody.

On Jun. 5, diplomats and local embassy staff from the United States and Britain, who were investigating political violence, were detained in Bindura. The U.S. government called the situation “absolutely outrageous.”

On Jun. 19, Mugabe expressed confidence in a victory, saying, “The MDC will never be allowed to rule this country—never ever. Only God who appointed me will remove me, not the MDC, not the British.”

On Jun. 22, Tsvangirai withdrew from the scheduled run-off, saying, “Conditions as of today do not permit the holding of a credible poll. Given the totality of these circumstances, we believe a credible election is impossible. We can’t ask the people to cast their vote on June 27 when that vote will cost their lives. We will no longer participate in this violent sham of an election.”

According to independent human rights groups, at least 85 people have died and thousands have been displaced from their homes during the run-off campaign.

Zimbabwean information minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said the election would take place, adding, “The constitution does not say that if somebody drops out or decides to chicken out the run-off will not be held.”

Voting took place on Jun. 27. Preliminary reports indicated that roaming bands of government supporters threatened and harassed people into voting. U.S. state secretary Condoleezza Rice called the vote “a sham”, adding, “Those operating in Zimbabwe should know that there are those who believe that the Security Council should consider sanctions. We intend to bring up the issue of Zimbabwe in the council. We will see what the council decides to do.”

Final results issued by the ZEC on Jun. 29 gave Mugabe 89.8 per cent of the vote. On that same day, South African archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu called for the formation of “an international force to restore peace” in Zimbabwe.

On Jun. 30, Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga urged for the suspension of Zimbabwe from the African Union (AU) until the country holds free and fair elections.

Political Players

President: Robert Gabriel Mugabe - ZANU-PF

The president is elected to a six-year term by popular vote.

Legislative Branch: The House of Assembly has 150 members; 120 are elected to five-year terms in single-seat constituencies, and 12 members are appointed. Eight provincial governors and 10 traditional chiefs complete the legislature. The Senate will have 66 members, 50 members will be elected to five-year terms—five from each of the country's 10 provinces—plus 10 traditional chiefs and six members appointed by the president.

Results of Last Election:

President - Mar. 29 and Jun. 27, 2008

	Mar. 29	Jun. 27
Robert Mugabe - Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front	43.2%	89.8%
Morgan Tsvangirai - Movement for Democratic Change	47.9%	10.2%
Simba Makoni - Independent	8.3%	--
Langton Towungana – Independent	0.6%	--

Note: Tsvangirai withdrew from the run-off on Jun. 22.

House of Assembly - Mar. 31, 2005

	Vote%	Seats
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF)	59.59%	78
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)	39.52%	41
Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga (ZANU-N)	0.25%	--
Independent	0.64%	1
Presidential appointees	--	12
Provincial governors	--	8
Traditional chiefs	--	10

Senate - Nov. 26, 2005

	Seats
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF)	43
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)	7
Traditional chiefs	10
Members appointed by the president	6

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