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14 March 2008 MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has more support than Robert Mugabe and Simba Makoni combined, according to a recent pre-election survey by the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI). Tsvangirai was favoured 28,3 percent by respondents, compared to Mugabe’s 20,3 percent and Makoni’s 8,6 percent. The MPOI was set up in 1999 ‘to promote and strengthen democratic governance through research.’ It is run by respected political commentator and University of Zimbabwe lecturer Eldred Masunungure.

Masunungure said a lot of votes are still up for grabs since a number of respondents refused to disclose their choices. A general climate of fear cultivated by successive violent election campaigns has meant many people are reluctant to discuss the candidates they will vote for. About 23,5 percent of those surveyed said their vote was secret, 7,5 percent had nothing to say, 5,4 percent will not vote, 4,4 percent said they didn’t know. In addition 1 percent said they would vote for little known presidential candidate Langton Towungana, while the remaining 1,9 percent respondents were classed as ‘other’ in the report.

Masunungure says it is unlikely any of the candidates can get an outright majority of over 51 percent in the first round of voting. This he says means a second round of voting will be necessary to choose between the two leading candidates. He says it will also be unlikely that any of the parties contesting will secure a two-thirds majority in both the House of Assembly and Senate. Under Constitutional Amendment 18, signed by both Zanu PF and the MDC, the winner of the presidential election has to get an outright majority.

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Originally posted by RCG:
Guys:

I think this is a little tongue in cheek commentary by AR's man on the ground in Zimbabwe. Or....is he confusing St. Patrick's Day in America with April Fools Day?

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Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has amended electoral laws to allow policemen into polling stations later this month to "assist" illiterate people to vote, state radio said on Tuesday. The amendment, which was published as a presidential proclamation on Monday, comes less than two weeks ahead of make-or-break polls on March 29. The amendment appears to backtrack on changes agreed at recently during South African-brokered talks that restricted police from doubling up as election officers. Under the electoral laws, police were not to be allowed within 100 metres of a polling station to avoid intimidating voters. "Section 59 of the act has also been amended and will allow two electoral officers and a police officer on duty to assist semi- literate voters," the radio quoted part of the presidential proclamation as saying. Voters who are "physically incapacitated" will also be assisted to vote by two electoral officials and a policeman, the report said. The radio did not say why the laws had been changed."

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An aside: I don't think that Simba Makoni is okay. Where was he when all the s*** hit the fan? In Bob's back pocket, that's where. Who's to say where he really is now? The only thing he is good for is splitting the vote.Interesting times.

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Originally posted by yukon delta:
Hah. This quote is from Bill's link...

"Here, I Join President Mugabe, and Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai, in appealing for a peaceful and clean election campaign. Let this not be a contest of fists, stones, knives and guns, but one of ideas, vision and commitment. No one is worth dying for, NOT President Mugabe, NOT Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, certainly NOT Simba Makoni.

No one is worth killing for either; - again, NOT President Mugabe, NOT Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, certainly NOT Simba Makoni."

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Originally posted by ozhunter:
Are the elections on or not?
A friend in Bulawayo still thinks its on this week end..