Book contents
- Election Violence in Zimbabwe
- Election Violence in Zimbabwe
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Violence, a Colonial Curse
- 2 Zanu PF and PF Zapu Violence
- 3 The New Enemy in the 1990 General Elections Was Zum
- 4 Zanu PF on Zanu PF Violence in 1995
- 5 What Presidential Election in 1996?
- 6 The Movement for Democratic Change Was Number One Enemy in 2000
- 7 Presidential Election in 2002
- 8 What General Elections in 2005?
- 9 Disharmony in the 2008 Harmonised Elections
- 10 Violence in the 2013 Elections
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- Select References
- Index
9 - Disharmony in the 2008 Harmonised Elections
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 February 2023
- Election Violence in Zimbabwe
- Election Violence in Zimbabwe
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Violence, a Colonial Curse
- 2 Zanu PF and PF Zapu Violence
- 3 The New Enemy in the 1990 General Elections Was Zum
- 4 Zanu PF on Zanu PF Violence in 1995
- 5 What Presidential Election in 1996?
- 6 The Movement for Democratic Change Was Number One Enemy in 2000
- 7 Presidential Election in 2002
- 8 What General Elections in 2005?
- 9 Disharmony in the 2008 Harmonised Elections
- 10 Violence in the 2013 Elections
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- Select References
- Index
Summary
On 29 March 2008, Zimbabwe’s ninth poll took place. Zanu PF felt insecure being in power, legitimised by only 47 and 19.5 per cent in the 2005 parliamentary and senate election, respectively. Following changes to the Constitution of Zimbabwe in September 2007, the electorate was asked to vote for a set of four political representatives for: president, parliament, senate and local government council. The 2008 socio-economic contexts showed that the electoral playing field and election processes and outcomes echoed excesses of previous flawed elections. The 29 March and 27 June 2008 elections were critical watershed moments in that while the March elections were the most peaceful (and even enjoyable) since the genesis of Zimbabwe’s mega-crisis in 2000, the June run-off will go down in history as the bloodiest since independence. The pre-poll arena for the harmonised elections had hallmarks of a rigged election, especially the use of state-financed patronage, poor voter education, the decrepit state of the voters’ roll and the violent pronouncements by members of the military-security sector, all of which skewed the playing field in favour of the incumbent regime.
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- Election Violence in ZimbabweHuman Rights, Politics and Power, pp. 216 - 255Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023