by Claver Nyuki
The European Union Election Observer Mission (EUEOM) presented its final report in Harare yesterday and despite pointing out a few possible anomalies, largely endorsed the election and election results.
The Mission admitted that some of the anomalies were as a result of low level of trust towards the democratic process and institutions which permeated the electoral environment due to previous elections which were contentious and filled with reports of abuses.
Unlike past elections, the Mission pointed out that the right to stand and participate in the election was provided for by Government. The elections saw a record 23 presidential candidates and over 50 different political parties participating in the election.
The Mission also admitted that the elections were quite competitive, with the Presidential top two candidates being separated by just over 6%.
Zimbabwe’s election campaign period up until this year was characterised by pre-election violence and reports of intimidation which the EU Observer agreed was a different scenario this time around. It admits that the political freedoms during the campaign were respected.
The Mission also reported that the campaign and Election Day were largely peaceful with voters coming out in their numbers to exercise their right to vote.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s invitation for local, regional and international observers to grace the elections was not only received by many observers but also regional and international media also took a keen interest in the election proceedings.
The EUEOM also notes that the media operated in a generally free environment during the campaign and commends that freedom of expression was respected.
The Mission also condemned the post-election violence which erupted on 1 August resulting in the loss of seven lives. The Government has already moved to rectify this by appointing an independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate the unfortunate events.
The EUEOM acknowledged that despite observing a few anomalies, they were not sufficient enough to prove a change of results.
“While ZEC’s poor management of the results may have opened up the process to a degree of legal jeopardy, the case brought by Chamisa did not adequately prove the case for a substantial change of the result.”
The report also commented on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and concedes that even though ZEC’s figures contained anomalies and inaccuracies, it was not enough to change the election result.
“The figures presented by ZEC contain many anomalies and inaccuracies. These did not bring in to question the results per se.”
The report in all, gave an objective critic of the election and going through the 67 paged election report one has to admit that judging from the country’s previous election, a lot of reforms were introduced in a bid to ensure that the elections were free, fair and credible.
It is now up to the Government to start preparations for the next harmonised elections in order to rectify some of the anomalies pointed out by the different local, regional and international observers who graced our elections.
President Mnangagwa has shown since getting in power that he believes in democracy and introduced the necessary election reforms that ensured a peaceful election period in which everyone was accorded the chance to exercise their right to vote.
