Mugabe urged to publish voting booth plans
Wednesday, 6 March 2002 22:52Election observers in Zimbabwe say they are concerned by the failure of the government to finalise details of the presidential election, which will be held at the weekend. President Robert Mugabe's government has yet to publish the location or the number of voting booths.
The main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, claims that Robert Mugabe's regime intends to cut the number of polling stations in urban areas, while increasing them in the countryside, where he draws most of his support.
Mugabe used presidential powers yesterday to reinstate controversial election rules which had been declared illegal by the Supreme Court last week, and which critics say are meant to favour his re-election bid. The controversial General Laws Amendments Act gives Zimbabwe's State-appointed election officers powers to bar independent vote monitors, to introduce strict identity requirements for voters, and ban private organisations from voter education.
