via AU releases full poll report | The Herald October 31, 2013 by Hebert Zharare
The African Union Election Observer Mission (AUEOM) to the July 31 harmonised elections has released its final report endorsing the polls as a true reflection of the will of the people of Zimbabwe.
Although the mission raised a few points that needed to be tied up, it commended the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for successfully managing the election beyond reproach against a backdrop of poor funding by the inclusive Government.
The polls, the AUEOM said, were held in accordance with the OAU/AU Declaration and Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa.
The AU chairperson Dr Nkosazana Zuma dispatched a team led by former Nigerian president General Olusegun Obasanjo, deputised by Dr Aisha Abdullahi, the AU commissioner for political affairs to observe the elections.
“The voting and counting processes took place in a peaceful and tranquil environment. Most of the polling stations observed by the AUEOM opened on time and were generally fully staffed, with all the required materials and adequately secured by the ZRP.
“Voting was conducted in an atmosphere devoid of violence, harassment and disturbances. The AUEOM observed generally, that from a historical perspective and in comparison to the 2008 elections, Zimbabwe has taken an important step in the conduct of its elections.”
The AU also noted that the elections were held according to Sadc principles and guidelines governing the conduct of democratic elections adopted by Sadc Heads of State and Governments in Grand Baie, Mauritius in 2004.
President Mugabe garnered 2 110 434 (61.09 percent) of the vote, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai 1 172 349 (33.94 percent), Welshman Ncube 92 637 (2.68 percent), Dumiso Dabengwa 25 416 (0.74 percent), Kisinoti Mukwazhe 9 931 (0.29 percent).
Zanu-PF won overwhelmingly in the National Assembly, gaining 197 seats after factoring in 60 women elected by proportional representation, while MDC-T has 70, MDC two with one independent. The AU election observer team acknowledged massive improvements made in the manner the ZEC conducted the July harmonised elections compared to previous polls.
“The AUEOM further noted the initiatives taken by the ZEC to recruit and train officials who were professionals in the conduct of the process on Election Day. The AUEOM commended the ZEC for the high number of women recruited as polling staff during the harmonised elections. This was a positive development for the participation of women in the electoral process.”
The AU report put to rest the MDC’s argument that the elections were not conducted in a free and fair environment as it also failed to furnish rigging evidence leading to the dismissal of Mr Tsvangirai’s case at the Constitutional Court seeking to nullify President Mugabe’s landside victory.
The AU came to its conclusion that the polls were held in a free and fair environment after adopting a long term election observation methodology that covered the pre-election, election and post election phases. The AU teams visited 52 of the 62 districts in the country’s 10 provinces and consulted with ZEC officials, President Mugabe, Mr Tsvangirai, the then Ministers of Justice and Finance Cde Patrick Chinamasa and Mr Tendai Biti respectively, all presidential candidates, the Registrar General of Voters, diplomats and civil society among others.
The observer team deployed 26 teams in all 10 provinces and they witnessed the final stages of the campaigns, pre-polling activities and counting processes and they visited 350 of the 9700 polling stations. The report chronicles the history of the country’s liberation struggle and Zanu-PF’s victory, the interparty dialogue, the inclusive Government era, the National Constitution making process, the election period, President Mugabe’s inauguration and Mr Tsvangirai’s election petition.
The AUEOM, however, raised some issues that it implored authorities to address in future elections.
“In general, while the AUEOM observes that the July 2013 harmonised elections in Zimbabwe were professionally and successfully conducted by the ZEC despite the financial, time and staff constraints, based on the overall observations of the AUEOM, it offers the following recommendations to help address some of the shortcomings identified.”
Some of the recommendations are;
1. Provide funding consistently and timeously
2. Voters roll to be availed 14 days before polls
3. Publicise election time-frames and conduct voter education on time
4. Improve security markings on ballot papers
5. Consider using police to assist voters
6. Provide parties access to public media
COMMENTS
Rubbish…
Interesting indeed. The report praises ZEC for petty issues like gender equality and quality of recruited officers, non violence but never mentions credibility. for a sobber mind, ZEC concurs the elections were rigged. All the listed recommendations were are contested issues by the MDC and are the pillars of any credible election. especially recommendation 2-6. They observed and noted real issues but they decided to downplay facts
Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans to shape their own destiny. The so called human rights defenders have not been heard saying anything to Alfonso Dhlakama. Maybe there are no Humans in Mozambique to worry about their rights. You pple who complain about vote rigging by Zanu pf, here is it’s secret. President Mugabe hates GAYZ of which God also hates and God is prepared to Honor such a man who choose to be called all sorts of names tha to help the devil to put humanity in error for a few dollars and to be enemies of God
U ar very stupid. Which president that old thing. He has over lived his well come..
AFRICAN UNDERTAKERS (AU) PVT LTD!
The Herald – my goodness – Oh my goodness what a lopsized motive to deride Zimbabweans The Herald thinks Zimbabweans are so stupid to believe the nonsensical notion of an election. What exactly is the Herald and its authors up to . My goodness what stupidity has fallen on the Herald. A grade one can easily tell you that the fiasco called elections in Zimbabwe was a debacle beyond madness and a nauseating vomitus.And that is what the Herald wants Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans and the international community to gulp. Oh my goodness the herald thinking Zimbabweans are so naïve and so stupid to believe this nonsense and mayhem of a fallacy in the name of elections. The Herald and ZANU in the hearts of their hearts truly know that the so called elections in Zimbabwe were a fiasco and a debacle beyond human consumption. Only bigots and maggots believe there was ever a fair and credible election in Zimbabwe The HERALD and ALL that are being used STINK and truly speaking they are garbage smelly and aborable. No one in his or her right sense would bite to such idiotic pervasion and dogma. If the herald is to hoodwink the international community forget it MUGABE HAS LOST ALL CREDIBILITY AS A LEADER THATS WHY HE HAS NOW RESORTED and REVERTED TO HIS MURDEROUS AND DICTATORIAL bigotry and zealous DISPOSITION and those idiots who dance to his harp are as good as Mugabe putrid excretion. Try The Herald TRY and TRY AGAIN and hope you will catch a few followers who can believe your warped stories and machinations. BUT NOT THE CIVILISEDPOPULACE WILL NEVER BE FOOLED YOU CAN LEt your Mugabe by decree and by force who cares. MADMEN AT THEIR WORST BUT TRY TO CONVINCE THE STUOID THAT THE ELECTIONS WERE FREE AND FAIR AS IF YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF FREE AND FAIR – SCUM.
Maisokwazvo, vomit if you want to. Turn, if you want to, now and even in your grave, when you die, which will be soon as you have that dreaded disease, but international opinion will never be swayed by your rabbid hatrade of Zanu Pf. The U.N, SADC, AU, ACP, Brazil, Russia, China, India, and many other proggressive countries with a combined population accounting for more than 80% of humanity said the elections were free, fair, peaceful and reflected the true will of the people of Zimbabwe. Who then are you to oppose that??? We Zimbabweans say the same thing as the rest of the world about our elections and we are happy about it except stupid paid mouthpieces of imperialism like yourself.
lies wena nkala.. did you ever hear them say the election was free and fair.no not at all, not sadc not AU..the word fair was never mentioned.you think we are all dunderheads….awusowakithi wena
I like technology. Today everyone has access to mews and can log own to say what they think. Even pre-school drop outs are now political analysts. They even insult you if you say something that promotes progress for Zimbabwe. If you glorify the opposition and the west you are said to be knowledgeable.
free and fair!? what a load of hogwash. it was free and stolen more like. AND STILL THERE IS NO VOTERS ROLL RELEASED. says a lot.
Unbelievable ignorance James, the countries you mentioned agreed it was free and fair, even without a Voters Roll to check. Why is there STILL no Voters Roll, because Mugarbage and Nikuv have it under wraps.
Look at the countries that called the poll free and fair (but not credible)Police assisting the highest literacy rate populace to vote in Africa, I think not.
Anyway, it’s all water under the bridge, ZANU-PFarts have it until 2018 and THEN IT’S ALL OVER MUGGER MUGARBAGE!
The U.N, SADC, AU, ACP, Brazil, Russia, China, India, , SADC, UUand many other proggressive countries. Lizi did not know the UN were countries.
Readers should read the report itself…it is very different from the Herald’s summary and select quotes. The report does everything possible not to criticise ZANU PF containing such memorably euphemistic statements as “AUEOM noted that the national broadcaster tended to provide live and in-depth coverage largely to a single political party”..kindly omitting to name the political party. The criticism that is thus levelled is all the more significant because of this approach. The report comes pronounces no conclusion on the nature of the elections and certainly does NOT say they were free, fair and credible
What a piece of junk, not even worth the paper its written on. Africa has failed its people and let it be understood by everyone, targeted sanctions should stay or be tightened, what else do reasonable people have to find justice. Every Zimbabwean will have to make sacrifice, no one is coming to help us until this regime changes its ways or removed.
We thought credible/incredible, fair and free are major terms of reference which needed to be clearly defined. Does the observer team state why it finds it important that the police not otherwise should assist the illiterate? What do they say is the consequence of not availing the voter’s roll within the stipulated period? What is the roll of highly educated staff holding office at ZEC? What did the observer team note about the publicity of time and location of polling sites?
Well, rhetoric questions from “creche truants”. The tone, if this was a verbatim quote, and is likely, tells us a sense of guilty from the committee. Why compare 2008 and 2013 electrolal processes? A class of immoralists whose bias can be read by “pre-school dropouts”. Peaceful plus tranquil equals credible, thus your mastery of electoral algebra Mr reporter? It would be impossible for you to develop an analytical prowess as long as you offer yourself to the state media beguilement.