Tsvangirai urges Zimbabweans to demand free and fair elections as ZANU-PF is already rigging the process

6. Agreement on the printing of voting material

There is need for agreement by all parties on who is printing the ballot papers and other voting material. We have seen happening in other countries in the SADC as in the elections held in Namibia and Zambia. There is also need for a forensic testing and examination of ballot papers and other voting material before and after voting.

7. Presence of polling agents from all political parties at polling stations

Every political party must have polling agents at every polling station during the voting process.

8. Safety of candidates

All political candidates must be given the opportunity t campaign freely without fear, coercion or intimidation. Related to this, Zanu PF must disband youth officers, who mainly political agents doing party work in the wards at the expense of the State. This is highly anomalous and illegal as the taxpayer cannot be liable for agents directly carrying out Zanu PF work as is currently obtaining.

9. Diaspora Vote

It is now constitutional for every Zimbabwean to exercise his/her right to vote. The ZEC must ensure that it puts in place administrative and other mechanisms in place to ensure that every Zimbabwean, regardless of their physical location, exercises this Constitutional right.

10. Observers

If we really have nothing to hide, we must ensure that our polls are observed by all and sundry without preconditions—and without exclusionary tendencies towards certain observers. All observers without exception must be allowed to observe both before and after the election.

As the nation converges on a common agenda for progress, growth and development and for democracy to take hold, I wish to applaud war veterans for joining the rest of the country in making the same demands for which they fought a brutal but legitimate armed struggle against racism and repression.

We salute the ex-combatants for converging with the rest of the nation in making key national demands.

Not only are they calling for President Mugabe to step down in the interest of the country, but they have now joined the rest of the nation in the sonorous cry for democracy and for the protection of the right to vote, for which they fought and for which so many paid the ultimate price.

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