Free, fair poll doubtful without greater pressure - ICG

Greater pressure must be brought to bear on Zimbabwe's government to implement genuine electoral reforms before the March 2005 parliamentary elections, an international political think-tank said on Wednesday.

In its latest report on Zimbabwe, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said it was "doubtful" whether the election would be free and fair, but implored regional and international leaders to press on with efforts to get Zimbabwean authorities to adhere to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) protocol and guidelines on fair polls.

President Robert Mugabe endorsed the guidelines, which guarantee freedom of association and equal access by all political parties to the state media, earlier this year in Mauritius.

The ICG noted that since then Zimbabwe had undertaken legislative steps, however "flawed", to accommodate the SADC principles.

Some of the remaining concerns raised by the Brussels-based think-tank were that technical reforms were not matched by other measures, such as the "repeal of repressive laws and an end to political violence", which was largely blamed on the state.

"The best prospect in sight is a C-minus election that is fairly clean on election day, but deeply flawed by months of non-democratic practices," the ICG remarked.

It was "critical" to the "credibility" of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) that the party participated fully in the electoral process, the report added, pointing out that a last minute decision to boycott the election could always be made if circumstances compelled it.

Since August the MDC has suspended its participation in all elections, alleging a lack of transparency and fairness in electoral processes.

Western countries have also been encouraged by the ICG to tone down the language against the Zimbabwean government, and support African diplomatic initiatives.

"Western friends of Zimbabwe can help best by supporting and complementing the African efforts vigorously, but without the flights of rhetoric that Mugabe knows so well how to turn to his advantage," the report noted.

One of the key developments had been the emergence of South Africa's civil society as a potential force for change in Zimbabwe, the report observed.

It highlighted cooperation between church groups in the two countries and growing support for the MDC by South Africa's influential trade union movement.

In late October the Congress of South African Trade Unions broke with its coalition partner, the ruling African National Congress, and sent a mission to Zimbabwe to investigate trade union rights and whether conditions for free and fair elections existed.

The ICG also suggested that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan should use his international prestige to press Mugabe on the importance of implementing the SADC protocol, and accepting a UN team of experts into the country to evaluate the electoral environment well in advance of the 2005 elections.