Early special voting a sign of election chaos to come in Zim

Today’s SADC summit to focus on political crisis

THE SOUTH African government has confirmed that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will hold an extraordinary summit in Pretoria today to discuss Zimbabwe’s readiness for presidential and legislative elections on July 31.

The troika of SADC’s organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation will meet amid growing concerns that Zimbabwe is not prepared for the crucial polls which will end the four-year old coalition government.

Last month SADC asked Zimbabwe to postpone the voting to allow more time for reforms and preparations but Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court rejected the request.

This week there have been reports of widespread chaos in the special voting mainly for officials who will be on duty on July 31.

This has raised doubts about the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s technical competence to cope with the far greater volume of voters in the full election.

SADC’s demands for deeper reforms to ensure the public media and security sector remain politically neutral have also been ignored by President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF which retain a stranglehold on power, even though Zanu PF ostensibly shares power with the two Movement for Democratic Parties.

President Jacob Zuma will host the meeting and report to his peers, as SADC’s mediator of the Zimbabwe negotiations. Officials said fellow troika members Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba were also expected to attend as well as Mozambican President Armando Guebuza who currently chairs SADC.

Thousands of Zimbab- wean security forces could not make their mark in chaotic early voting three weeks before the elections to end the unity government.

“The process has got challenges, we can’t deny that because we’ve seen what info has been coming out during the special vote,” said Lindiwe Zulu, South Africa’s chief envoy who heads the mediation process after deadly polls in 2008. – Additional reporting – SapaAFP

BREATHING FIRE: Mugabe hopes to cling to power.