It is shocking and quite bizarre that an election observation mission imagines that it can overturn the electoral will of the people of Zimbabwe and delegitimize their general election by by simply alleging that High Court and Constitutional Court decisions, for example on delimitation, or legislation enacted by Parliament, for example the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Act [the so-called Patriotic Act] are among “some aspects” of the conduct of last week’s elections that “fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021)”.
Yesterday Nevers Mumba, the embattled Chairperson of the Sadc Election Observation Mission was all over television news media within Sadc, especially in South Africa, defending a preliminary report as if it was final, and going beyond to effectively claim that last week’s election was not legitimate, using irrational and intemperate language.
The whole issue has become a circus, around Nerves Mumba, and that’s unfortunate because it needlessly tarnishes Sadc’s image and worse, it invites ridicule Mumba’s appointing authority.
That is unprecedented, undiplomatic and unacceptable.
The bottom line is that, even with the best of intentions, the Preliminary Statement of the Sadc Election Observation Mission cannot withstand the simplest of scrutiny.
It is not evidenced-based, as it is entirely based on hearsay; it did not give the institutions it implicates, such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the right to be heard, it did not take into account the fact that the challenges faced by ZEC at the start of polling day were in fact redressed, and the affected polling stations were given 12 extra hours , effectively an additional polling day.
What is wore is that even if it were to withstand all scrutiny, which it does not, it would still amount to precious little because no election anywhere in the world can be decided by election observers, not least because doing so would make a mockery of the rule of law.
Election observers – who always participate by invitation of the country holding an election and not by right or duty – help to improve the administration and management of elections, but they never ever decide the outcome of any election anywhere in the world!
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