Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2000: Zimbabwe.

摘要

Zimbabwe is a republic in which President Robert Mugabe and his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) have dominated the executive and legislative branches of the Government and have restricted political choice since independence in 1980. Although the Constitution allows for multiple parties, opposition parties have been subject both to financial restrictions, which were relaxed only partially in 1998, and to significant intimidation and violence by the ruling party and government security forces. Parliamentary elections were held in June and were preceded by a government-sanctioned campaign of violence directed towards supporters and potential supporters of the opposition. Although most election observers agreed that the voting process itself generally was peaceful, there were irregularities, and an estimated 15 percent of voters were turned away at the polls for various technical reasons. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) are responsible for maintaining law and order. Of a population of approximately 12 million, nearly half live by subsistence agriculture and about 75 percent rely directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihood; however, there are also substantial mining, manufacturing, and service sectors. The Government's poor human rights record worsened significantly during the year, and it committed serious abuses.