ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwean opposition supporters are determined to monitor the country's election - and they believe they can win, Bill Corcoran reports from Victoria Falls.
Although they face reprisals from youth militia if discovered, the election volunteers have been gathering nightly to learn what Richard, a political activist, has come to teach them.
The 45-year-old white Zimbabwean is already tired, and there is still over a week to go before Zimbabwe's general election.
He has spent days covertly training the eager volunteers to be polling agents for the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which is contesting the March 31st election against President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF party.
Richard, who requested a degree of anonymity, is in charge of training the 1,000 volunteers who will be responsible for observing the proceedings at 340 polling stations in the country's northwest.
He is adamant their presence at the polling stations is vital if the will of the people is to be truly reflected in the election results.
If the MDC can guarantee the vote-counting process that follows the general election is above board, he believes the opposition will carry the day.
However, he is quick to point out that he is not naive. He remembers what happened during the last two elections.
"I believe that Zanu PF will go to huge lengths to cheat in next week's election. Last time they prepared boxes of extra ballot papers with the ticks for Zanu PF already on them, and then brought them to the polling stations before anyone arrived.
"Hundreds of thousands of dead people who were still on the live register ended up voting to return the ruling party to power. They also harassed and threatened the voters continuously," he insists.
The polling agent volunteers are being taught the correct procedures that should be used on polling day, but they also learn how to spot the different cheating techniques they, and independent external election observers, believe were employed in previous elections by Zanu PF, which stands for Zimbabwean African National Union Patriotic Front.
He is certain cheating will take place, just as it did three years ago during the country's presidential election, which resulted in Mugabe being returned to office.
"I really believe the MDC can win hands down if there is no cheating next week. And that is the crux of the matter - we have to be vigilant on polling day. But saying that, I am not over-optimistic as to how effective we will be," he concedes.
Richard's opinions in relation to Zanu PF's readiness to win at all costs are supported by the numerous post-election statements released by independent observers following the 2002 presidential election.
According to a report published by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAII) numerous accounts of MDC polling agents being abducted and prevented from attending their allotted polling station were relayed to them after the poll.
"The Zimbabwean Election Support Network noted the absence of opposition polling agents from many polling stations and commented on the many disturbing episodes of violence involving opposition polling agents being harassed and prevented from carrying out their duties," states the SAII report.
Richard, however, believes an opportunity does exist for the opposition next week because of the new electoral laws - which President Mugabe agreed to last August as a member of the Southern African Development Community - that will apply in the forthcoming election.
As well as outlining various democratic principles that must be adhered to, the new guidelines state the casting and counting of the votes must take place over a 24-hour period. In the 2002 election, counting took place over three days.
"Zanu PF had a full three days to mess with the votes last time, so it was far easier to manipulate the counting process. With only a day to carry out the whole procedure, and an army of polling agents in attendance, it will be far more difficult for them.
"All we need to do is tip the balance, as the majority of people vote MDC," he says.
Although Richard is a political activist, he is adamant he has no political aspirations. His involvement is purely down to a desire to see democracy flourish in the country he loves.
"I'm involved because I want to bring democracy to Zimbabwe - it is the country I have lived in all my life and it is where my business is. Over the last four years many of my friends have had their livelihoods taken away from them, and they have had to leave - I don't want that to happen to me," he says.
He says the only reason he is supporting the MDC is because they are the only opposition party out there that can mount a challenge. If there were other parties worth supporting, he maintains he would have no problem switching allegiances.
He and his colleagues are so paranoid about being infiltrated by members of the government's secret police, the Central Intelligence Officers, they operate the organisation on a need-to-know basis. "There are hundreds of people involved in the support group, but I don't know most of them. I know a guy in Bulawayo and he gives me my brief, and that's it. It is safer this way because if I get any pressure from the authorities I can't give anyone else away."