US Embassy "Gravely Concerned" Over Irregularities During Elections In Zimbabwe

The United States Embassy in Harare has expressed serious concerns about the irregularities observed during the harmonized elections in Zimbabwe held on August 23-24. These concerns include the arrest of civil society members. The embassy’s statement aligns with the views of other observer missions who stated that the electoral process did not meet regional and international standards. Transparency, independence, fairness, and credibility of the electoral processes were questioned, along with restrictions on the rights to freedom of assembly, association, and expression. Reports of voter intimidation and the disenfranchisement of candidates, especially women, were also highlighted. In a statement seen by Pindula News, the embassy urges the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to announce the results promptly and transparently. It calls on all stakeholders to maintain a peaceful environment and resolve any grievances through legal channels.

U.S. EMBASSY STATEMENT ON ELECTION

The U.S. Embassy commends the Zimbabwean people, some of whom faced significant obstacles and delays, who exercised their right to vote on August 23 and 24. While the election days were predominantly peaceful, the electoral process thus far did not meet many regional and international standards.

We share the deep concerns expressed by SADC and other international electoral observation missions. SADC’s August 25 preliminary statement noted the elections “fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021).” These missions cited problems with the transparency, independence, fairness, and credibility of electoral processes; undue restrictions on the rights to freedom of assembly and association, and freedom of expression that are guaranteed by Zimbabwe’s Constitution and reflected in regional guidelines; reports of voter intimidation; and the disenfranchisement of candidates, particularly women. We are also gravely concerned by the arrest of civil society members that we believe were conducting lawful, non-partisan election observation work.

The Zimbabwean people demonstrated patience, calm, and resilience while exercising their civic right to vote.

In response to these irregularities, the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has called for new elections. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) declared President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the winner of the presidential election, with Nelson Chamisa of the CCC as the runner-up. The ZANU PF party secured the majority of National Assembly seats. 

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