Harare (New Ziana) – A Southern African Development Community (SADC) election observer mission on Friday described the conduct of Zimbabwe’s just ended poll as peaceful and calm, but noted a few areas which it said needed improvement.
Zimbabwe held general elections on Wednesday to choose a president, and parliamentary and local government representatives for the next five years.
The SADC observer team, led by former Zambian Vice President Nevers Mumba, was among dozens of other local, regional and international missions that were invited to witness the election.
In a preliminary report on the elections, the SADC observers commended Zimbabweans for being peaceful and calm during the campaign and voting periods, and hoped this also obtains after the announcement of the results.
“After consulting widely with stakeholders, the consensus was that the country was generally calm and peaceful,” the observers said.
Ahead of the election, President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other key stakeholders exhorted the public to campaign and vote peacefully, and accept the outcome of the election gracefully.
As a result, the election was probably the most peaceful the country has ever had, a factor which enhances the credibility of the poll and its outcome.
But the SADC observer team also noted some shortcomings in the organisation and management of the poll, which it said needed to be improved to re-align with provisions of the constitution, and the regional body’s protocols on elections.
Among these was easy access to the voters roll by interested parties, high registration fees for electoral candidates and perceived bias in favour of incumbent authorities in government by the state media.
“In conclusion, the mission observed that the pre-election and voting phases, on 23-24 August 2023 harmonised elections were peaceful and calm,” the team said.
“However, for reasons outlined above, the mission noted that some aspects of the harmonised elections fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021),” it added.
New Ziana