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Bikita West elections were peaceful- Heal Zimbabwe
27 Jan 2017 at 05:25hrs | Views
Heal Zimbabwe has declared that the Bikita by-election was held in a generally peaceful manner.
The trust said also, gross human rights violations that acutely short-change voters such as arson, murder, torture, rape, abduction or kidnapping, arbitrary arrest and detention and voters displacement were not observed.
"Only two cases of assault were recorded from the 11 wards in Bikita West. This is a marked improvement on by-elections compared to those held in 2015 and 2016 (in Tsholotsho North, Hurungwe, Headlands, Mhondoro-Ngezi, Chimanimani, and Norton," said the trust.
"As such, Heal Zimbabwe applauds the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the police and other Government departments involved in ensuring that the voting process in Bikita West take place peacefully."
The trust said however, although the balloting day was peaceful, the election was entirely compromised by the pre-balloting period where villagers were subjected to threats of violence and withdrawal of food aid (intimidation), forced attendance to political gatherings vote buying, and discrimination from accessing food aid on the basis of political affiliation.
"This makes it difficult to declare the elections free and fair," said the trust.
Zanu PF won the polls with ZimPF candidate settling on the second position.
The trust said also, gross human rights violations that acutely short-change voters such as arson, murder, torture, rape, abduction or kidnapping, arbitrary arrest and detention and voters displacement were not observed.
"Only two cases of assault were recorded from the 11 wards in Bikita West. This is a marked improvement on by-elections compared to those held in 2015 and 2016 (in Tsholotsho North, Hurungwe, Headlands, Mhondoro-Ngezi, Chimanimani, and Norton," said the trust.
The trust said however, although the balloting day was peaceful, the election was entirely compromised by the pre-balloting period where villagers were subjected to threats of violence and withdrawal of food aid (intimidation), forced attendance to political gatherings vote buying, and discrimination from accessing food aid on the basis of political affiliation.
"This makes it difficult to declare the elections free and fair," said the trust.
Zanu PF won the polls with ZimPF candidate settling on the second position.
Source - Byo24News
