Following the the ongoing announcement of House of Assembly results, the Election Resource Centre (ERC) has urged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to uphold transparency, accountability and verifiability.
“Full compliance with these principles and standards will go a long way in managing some of the tensions that are already threatening the peace that has broadly defined the 2018 harmonised election.
“The ERC therefore urges the Electoral Commission to abide by the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act and its own published procedures in concluding the transmission, tabulation, verification and announcement of all results. Any deviations from the provided provisions should be adequately and timeously communicated to all stakeholders to promote consensus and build confidence which may contribute towards acceptance of the final results,” ERC said in a statement.
It added that it is also critical that the Electoral Commission accommodates and articulates available dispute resolution mechanisms in a service minded manner. While disputes may be inevitable, how they are managed will go a long way in contributing towards a credible, free and fair election.
ERC encouraged Zimbabweans to exercise restraint and remain peaceful as the nation enters a very delicate finalisation of the electoral process.