ZIMBABWE:Human rights activist Jestina Mukoko is not optimistic that Zimbabwe's election run-off will be fair, writes Carl O'Brien
A HUMAN rights activist from Zimbabwe has warned that intimidation and violence against opposition party supporters is reaching crisis levels in advance of next month's second round of presidential elections.
Jestina Mukoko, national director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project said the upsurge in kidnappings and torture was being directed at authorities who wanted to suppress the opposition vote next month.
"Thousands of people are displaced, many have lost their identity documents, resulting in many people being disenfranchised. If these people are prevented from voting, it could have serious consequences in next month's vote," she said.
"Violence is being directed specifically at opposition parties, civil society, in particular those who participated in the last election as observers."
The second round of presidential elections follows a disputed March 29th election in which official results showed opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe, but not by enough votes to avoid a run-off.
Ms Mukoko was speaking after a meeting with Irish politicians in Dublin yesterday, where she presented details of the project's post-election report.
She is visiting Ireland as part of a visit organised by aid group Trócaire.
She said the Irish Government could play a valuable role in putting more pressure on the 14-nation SADC (Southern African Development Community) to help ensure next month's election is as fair as possible. "They are the only group leading any kind of dialogue between Zanu-PF and the MDC. At the moment there is a lot of disputes and finger-pointing going on in the group.
"There needs to be more of a focus on the issues that matter."
Overall, Ms Mukoko said, she did not feel optimistic that there would be a fair election, given the rising levels of violence and intimidation that have gripped the country.
"I am not hopeful at all. I am not happy that thousands of people are displaced. The situation is looking very bleak and, unfortunately, I do not see that changing any time soon."
The Movement for Democratic Change has claimed in recent days that the military had tried to assassinate Mr Tsvangirai.
The party's secretary general, Tendai Biti, said the threat to Mr Tsvangirai's life was the principal reason he had not yet returned to Zimbabwe to campaign for a second round.
Zimbabwe's government said the MDC was fantasising and accused it of "playing to the international media gallery".