Zimbabwe: Review of the 2002-presidential election

Abstract

The outcome of the Zimbabwe presidential election from 9-11 March 2002 is the subject of heated debate on the  continent and in world politics. Behind the official jubilation by President Robert Mugabe and the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), lies a dark story of terror and repression amongst ordinary Zimbabweans, reports K MacGregor. The thorny issue focuses on the question whether the presidential election was free and fair. Despite overwhelming factual evidence by independent analysts and international observers that it was not, some African election observer missions said it was. The controversial poll saw President Mugabe being voted into power for a fifth term. The leader of the opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, said: "We foresaw fraud but not daylight robbery because that is what it is."