The EU Election Observer Mission has delivered a damning report on the elections in Zimbabwe, confirming what the SADC election observer mission also noted.
The head of the EU observer team, Fabio Castaldo said the elections were held in a “climate of fear” and failed to conform to “regional and international standards”.
“Voters queued for long periods of time to be able to vote, reflecting their democratic aspirations.
“During the election process, fundamental freedoms were increasingly curtailed, both in the passing of regressive legal changes like the patriotic provisions to the Criminal Code and by acts of violence and intimidation, which resulted in a climate of fear.
“The candidate registration process and the campaign led to an environment that hampered voters from making a free and informed choice on Election Day.”
“On election night, there was a raid conducted across four locations in Harare, including at the Holiday Inn where the EU EOM and other international observation groups are based.
“In these actions, 39 people from ZESN (Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network) and ERC (Electoral Resource Centre) were arrested.
“A police statement the next morning clarified that it was for coordinating the alleged release of election results.”