NEW YORK - An upcoming nationwide ballot in Zimbabwe will be held under a “seriously flawed electoral process” that does not meet global standards for freedom and fairness, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday.
The southern African country heads to the polls on August 23 to elect the president and legislature in what analysts expect to be a tense affair, marked by a crackdown and fears of rigging.
“Zimbabwe’s authorities have yet again demonstrated a lack of respect for the basic freedoms necessary for a credible, free, and fair election,” said HRW’s senior Africa researcher, Idriss Ali Nassah. The US-based rights group said the authorities had adopted repressive laws to muffle dissent and used intimidation and violence against the opposition.
The courts have been “weaponised” to target opposition politicians, while the election overseers lack impartiality, the group said in a report based on interviews with activists and politicians.
