New rules, ghost voters threaten vote

Zimbabwe has a history of elections that are far from free and fair — and several ominous developments suggest that nothing will be different at the end of July, when the country votes in the first election since the resignation of Robert Mugabe.

Of particular concern is the apparent complicity of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), which is issuing controversial new voting regulations that seem to undermine the secrecy of the ballot. As in previous polls, the commission has become increasingly obstructive to engagement as the elections draw closer.

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