UN chief concerned over post-election environment in Zimbabwe

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the arrest of election observers, reports of voter intimidation as well as threats of violence following Zimbabwe’s elections.

Last week, Zimbabwe held elections, choosing a president, parliamentarians and councilors.

But the outcome of the election was disputed by the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) which claimed that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had announced fake presidential election results that declared President Emerson Mnangagwa winner with 52,6% while Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change had 44%.

“The Secretary-General calls on political leaders and their supporters to reject any and all forms of violence, threats of violence, or incitement to violence, and to ensure that human rights and the rule of law are fully respected,” read a UN statement on Sunday.

The UN chief urged resolutions “in a fair, expeditious, and transparent manner to ensure that the (el ection) results are a true reflection of the will of the people.”

Lack of ballot papers

In Wednesday’s elections in Zimbabwe, voting was extended into Thursday in some areas, including Harare, the country’s capital, due to a lack of ballot papers.

Following an election that was described as being fraught with irregularities, Mnangagwa secured a second five-year term after the announcement of the results towards midnight on Saturday.

Chamisa’s CCC has rejected the presidential election results saying they were marred by a “gigantic fraud.”

“We will not wait for five years. There has to be a change now,” Chamisa told reporters on Sunday.

Meanwhile, election observers from the Zimbabwe Election Support Network and the Elections Resource Center have made claims that police raided their data centers, claiming they were being harassed to prevent them from independently verifying the results.