Parliamentary election in Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe parliamentary election took place on 31st March 2005. Basically it was a two-way battle between ruling ZANU (PF) and MDC (Movement for Democratic Change), a party created in 2000 out of the outfit of the then Trade Union Congress. The party was allegedly sponsored by Britain and other Western governments to counter President Mugabe. MDC did stunningly well in 2000 parliamentary election by capturing 57 out of 120 seats in the parliament. A clear divide emerged. MDC winning urban seats in all major cities including Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Kwekwe and also urban seats in Matabeleland, the land of pre-dominantly Ndebele speaking population. ZANU (PF) won 63 seats mainly in rural areas dominated by Shona speaking people.

Election on 31st March was amazingly peaceful with no violence reported even in the staunchly anti Mugabe press. ZANU (PF) won 78 seats, MDC 41 and one seat went to a rebel Mugabe minister Jonathan Moyo standing as independent. The election campaign was a very low key one. We have not witnessed any large gathering or procession in the capital during the election month. One will see only a few posters mainly on the light posts urging support for the party and specific candidates. One of the polling booth was in front of our house and I have personally visited a number of polling booths. The queue started early in the morning, no one was trying to convince others to change mind. Everyone was minding his/ her own business and left the booth soon after casting vote.

ZANU (PF) branded this election as anti-Blair, and power to Zimbabwean manifesto and MDC fought it on the ground of economic mismanagement by the ruling party and law and order situation. ZANU (PF) blamed non co-operation of the western countries and longstanding drought for economic hardships.

Neither major party was able to make significant gain in the core constituencies of the other. MDC maintained dominance in the urban centers and most of the rural areas of Matabeleland. Though their dominance in Bulawayo increased slightly, 78.62 percent in 2005 against 76 percent in 2000, their degree of dominance decreased in other strongholds (Harare 67 percent against 75 percent, Matabeleland 51 percent against 66 percent in 2000). MDC received 46 percent of the national valid votes in 2000 while their share in 2005 has been only 39.6 percent.

The fall in MDC's support can be attributed for their lack of clear view on the land issue, over dependence on western support and lack of intensive campaign among voters. ZANU (PF) very successfully depicted Mr. Tsvangirai as the agent of the colonialists and MDC as a party bent upon reversing the ownership of the 78 percent of the arable lands back to less than 1 percent of the white settlers. The western media's campaign to portray Zimbabwe as a country lacking in law and order also went against MDC as Zimbabwe is still the safest country in the region. Also the government portrayed fairness by adopting most of the SADC election guidelines, allowing opposition propaganda time in state radio and television and allocating campaign fund to both MDC and ZANU (PF).

After the election MDC made a low key complaint of massive election fraud and western media branded the election as sham. All the regional observers endorsed the election results as free and fair. The western media is devoid of ground realities and will never accept any result in which Mr. Mugabe emerges victorious.

The low key campaign on the street allowing opposition adequate exclusive time, allowing them access to the general mass instead of taking recourse to such campaign as may be leading to violence, intimidation and anarchy, are some good examples for us to emulate for better.