Perpetua Murungweni
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) concluded that curtailed rights and lack of level playing field led to an environment that was not conducive to voters making a free and informed choice in Zimbabwe’s 2023 Harmonized Elections.
In in a press statement, EU EOM, Chief Observer Fabio Massimo Castaldo said the Zimbabwean election was largely calm but disorderly.
“While Election Day was assessed by the EU EOM as largely calm, the election process overally was hampered by significant issues regarding the independence and transparency of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC). The ZEC missed opportunities to increase public trust in the integrity of voting and results management.
“The failure of ZEC to provide critical electoral material such as paper ballots resulted in many polling stations opening with severe delays, leading to an increasingly tense atmosphere in some locations,” said Castaldo.
“The EU EOM also noted the central role of the judiciary in the process, given the unprecedented high number of pre-election court challenges, pertaining to both right to contest and validity of all key legal texts, some of which remain unresolved”, said Castaldo.
He also noted that there was lack of level playing field, particularly regarding the freedom of assembly.
“The campaign presented voters with a range of viewpoints, but there was a lack of level playing field, particularly regarding the freedom of assembly”, said Castaldo.
Castaldo also stressed his concern over the arrest of accredited observer organizations who were exercising their constitutional rights.
“The passing of regressive legal provisions and acts of violence and intimidation resulted in a climate of fear. The violent arrest of members of accredited citizen observer organizations ZESN and ERC, who exercised their constitutional rights, on 23 August, is of great concern. Both organizations are credible and respected human rights defenders,” said Castaldo
Castaldo emphasized that the 2023 Zimbabwean elections fell short of regional and international standards.
“Ultimately the elections fell short of many regional and international standards, including key principles of equality, universality, transparency and accountability.”
“The EU EOM’s media analysis revealed similar short-comings. State-controlled media allocated substantially more airtime and print space to the ruling party, President Mnangagwa and the government,” said Castaldo.
The EU EOM noted in the press release that they experienced problems in assessing official bodies despite an administrative arrangement between the Zimbabwean government and the EU.
“EU EOM experienced problems in assessing official bodies this was despite an administrative arrangement between the Zimbabwean government and the European Union which stipulated access to all participants in the electoral process.
The EU EOM also deplores an extensive and sustained disinformation and defamation campaign in some media and social platforms against the EU EOM and other international observer organizations,” said Castaldo.
The EU EOM was invited by the government of Zimbabwe to observe the 2023 Harmonized Elections.
