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Zimbabwe will accept or reject SADC's final report recommendations
15 Oct 2023 at 11:50hrs | Views
The Zimbabwean government has confirmed the receipt of the final report from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) regarding the findings and recommendations from the August harmonized elections.
In an interview, Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Amon Murwira stated that the government would thoroughly review the document and respond accordingly.
This development came after a meeting with SADC country ambassadors to discuss political developments in Zimbabwe held on Friday. Mr. Murwira expressed the government's intention to carefully consider the report and respond to its recommendations. He emphasized the importance of feedback from such reports, noting that while the report isn't a legal instrument, it serves as a peer review tool whose recommendations can be either accepted or refuted.
One notable aspect of the final report advised aggrieved parties to seek internal remedies to address concerns arising from the contested polls. The report urged concerned parties to use appropriate legal processes to address grievances related to the election results.
Mr. Murwira also highlighted that the government had already communicated its position on the preliminary report, and the response was made public. He reiterated the government's commitment to responding to the final report after a thorough examination.
The SADC Troika Organ submitted the final report on Zimbabwe's harmonized elections, noting that the plebiscite did not meet the SADC guidelines and principles for a democratic election. An extraordinary summit of SADC Heads of States and Governments on Zimbabwe is scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on October 31, 2023, to discuss the Zimbabwe election crisis.
Mr. Murwira praised SADC for their support and appreciation of Zimbabwe's efforts in engaging with the organization. He emphasized that Zimbabwe had been forthcoming in presenting its views and respecting the member states of SADC.
It's worth noting that the SADC Election Observation Mission (SEOM) preliminary report had caused controversy, with government and ruling party officials labeling its chairperson, Nevers Mumba, as a "puppet" used by the West to destabilize the region. The biggest opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), rejected the election results, describing them as a "gigantic fraud" and demanding a rerun. Several other mission observers, including the European Union (EU), the Commonwealth, and the Carter Center, also criticized the election as flawed.
In an interview, Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Amon Murwira stated that the government would thoroughly review the document and respond accordingly.
This development came after a meeting with SADC country ambassadors to discuss political developments in Zimbabwe held on Friday. Mr. Murwira expressed the government's intention to carefully consider the report and respond to its recommendations. He emphasized the importance of feedback from such reports, noting that while the report isn't a legal instrument, it serves as a peer review tool whose recommendations can be either accepted or refuted.
One notable aspect of the final report advised aggrieved parties to seek internal remedies to address concerns arising from the contested polls. The report urged concerned parties to use appropriate legal processes to address grievances related to the election results.
The SADC Troika Organ submitted the final report on Zimbabwe's harmonized elections, noting that the plebiscite did not meet the SADC guidelines and principles for a democratic election. An extraordinary summit of SADC Heads of States and Governments on Zimbabwe is scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on October 31, 2023, to discuss the Zimbabwe election crisis.
Mr. Murwira praised SADC for their support and appreciation of Zimbabwe's efforts in engaging with the organization. He emphasized that Zimbabwe had been forthcoming in presenting its views and respecting the member states of SADC.
It's worth noting that the SADC Election Observation Mission (SEOM) preliminary report had caused controversy, with government and ruling party officials labeling its chairperson, Nevers Mumba, as a "puppet" used by the West to destabilize the region. The biggest opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), rejected the election results, describing them as a "gigantic fraud" and demanding a rerun. Several other mission observers, including the European Union (EU), the Commonwealth, and the Carter Center, also criticized the election as flawed.
Source - NewZimbabwe
