THE final SADC Election Observer Mission Report is set to be tabled for consideration at the regional bloc’s next summit to be held Harare next year, and Zimbabwe will adopt what it feels is relevant to its environment, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, has said.
He said this yesterday in response to media enquiries pertaining to the SADC Election Observer Mission’s final report that was released recently.
“We are glad that they have completed their report which will be submitted to the summit, which will be held in Harare next year,” he said.
“Thereafter, if the summit adopts it, we will be able to consider what they recommended. We will accept what we feel is relevant to us and those (issues) that are not relevant to us, we will reject.
“Most importantly in that SADC report, they indicate that our legal processes must be followed to resolve any dispute that might arise.”
Minister Ziyambi added that the Government will adopt recommendations that suit the Zimbabwean environment.
“When we go to any election, we invite our friends, neighbours and international organisations that we work with to come and observe our elections.
“After having observed, they produce reports and recommendations that we will consider so that we improve our own systems of how we conduct our elections.
“In other words, this is a peer review process,” said Minister Ziyambi.
Zimbabwe held its harmonised general elections on August 23 and 24, which were observed by numerous observer missions.
Many observer missions praised the organisation of the elections and the peaceful environment that prevailed before, during and after the elections.
It was only the SADC and the European Union election observer missions that came up with adverse preliminary reports, after they strayed from their mandates of merely observing the conduct of the elections in respect of the pre-election period, the voting period and the period just after voting.
Instead, the two election observer missions elected to start critiquing local laws passed by the country’s Parliament, which had opposition representatives.
However, investigations by The Herald later established that the EU had pre-arranged with SADC Election Observer Mission chair, Dr Nevers Mumba, to ensure he came up with an adverse report in the event that CCC leader Mr Nelson Chamisa lost the election.
Analysts say the idea of an adverse preliminary report was to try and jolt SADC into condemning Zimbabwe.
There are attempts by the West to remove all former liberation movements from power, and if the plan had succeeded in Zimbabwe, it was expected to have been carried over to Mozambique, South Africa and Namibia.
Mozambique held its municipal elections on October 11, which the ruling Liberation Front of Mozambique (Frelimo) won resoundingly except one municipality, with the opposition Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) maintaining its majority in Beira.
However, the biggest loser, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), is alleging vote rigging and has been calling for protests.
South Africa holds general elections next year to elect a new National Assembly and the provincial legislature in each province, and the West wishes that its puppets should win those elections and get rid of the ANC led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Namibia will also hold general elections next year and Western forces are determined to dethrone the ruling SWAPO. — Additional reporting: ZBC