CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i COPYRIGHT ii DISCLAIMER iii ABOUT THE AUTHORS vi FOREWORD 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 INTERROGATING THE INVOLVEMENT OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS IN ELECTORAL PROCESSES IN ZIMBABWE 7 INTRODUCTION 8 CONCEPTUALISATION AND POLITICAL MANIPULATION IN COLONIAL AND POST-COLONIAL ZIMBABWE 9 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK 12 PRACTICES OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS DURING ELECTIONS 14 JURISPRUDENCE AND COURT CASES 16 CONCLUSION AND POLICY OPTIONS 21 3 PRE-ELECTION DISPUTES THROUGH THE LENSES OF KENYA’S LAW, POLITICS, AND EXPERIENCES 23 INTRODUCTION 24 ROLE OF THE IEBC 26 ROLE OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES DISPUTES TRIBUNAL 30 ROLE OF INTERNAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISM 33 EMERGING ISSUES AND THEMES DURING THE IEBC EDR PROCESS 34 LESSONS, CHALLENGES, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 40 CONCLUSION 44 4 PRE-ELECTORAL PERIOD: ELECTION ENVIRONMENT LAW AND PRACTICE FOR RESTORING THE PROMISE OF AFRICAN ELECTIONS iv viii 47 INTRODUCTION 48 PRE-ELECTION ENVIRONMENT PILLARS 50 CONCLUSION 61