Zimbabwean presidential election, 2002

Zimbabwean presidential election, 2002

March 9 - 11, 2002

Nominee Robert Mugabe Morgan Tsvangirai Party ZANU-PF MDC Popular vote 1,685,212 1,258,401 Percentage 56.2% 42.0%

President before election Robert Mugabe ZANU-PF Elected President Robert Mugabe ZANU-PF

Zimbabwe
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A presidential election was held in Zimbabwe between 9 and 11 March 2002. The election was contested by the incumbent Robert Mugabe, Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, ZANU-Ndonga leader Wilson Kumbula, Shakespeare Maya of the National Alliance for Good Governance and independent candidate Paul Siwela. Although Mugabe won, claiming 56.2% of the vote, it was the closest presidential election to date. Although the Organisation of African Unity described the election as "transparent, credible, free and fair", the conduct of the election was strongly condemned by the Commonwealth, Norwegian observers, Zimbabwean opposition figures, and Western governments and media. ^[1] Zimbabwe was consequently suspended from the Commonwealth for a year.^[2] The Khampepe Report, commissioned by South African president Thabo Mbeki, was commissioned at the time to investigate the fairness of the elections. The report said :-

However, having regard to all the circumstances, and in particular the cumulative substantial departures from international standards of free and fair elections found in Zimbabwe during the pre-election period, these elections, in our view, cannot be considered to be free and fair.

This report was not released publicly for 12 years, after a lengthy legal battle by the Mail & Guardian. ^[3]

There were 5,647,812 voters registered for the election; turnout was 55.4%.

Mugabe was sworn in for another term by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku on 17 March 2002 at State House in Harare.^[4]

Results

References

Elections and referendums in Zimbabwe and its antecedents
Presidential elections	1990 1996 2002 2008 2013 2018
Parliamentary elections	1899 1902 1905 1908 1911 1914 1920 1924 1928 1933 1934 1939 1946 1948 1954 1958 1962 1965 1970 1974 1977 1979 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2008 2013 2018
Senate elections	2005 2008 2013 2018
Referendums	1922 1934 1953 1961 1964 1969 1979 2000 2013
See also: Elections in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland