The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres said he is closely following developments in Zimbabwe’s elections.
In a statement on Sunday, 27 August, Associate Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Florencia Soto Niño-Martínez, said Guterres was concerned about the arrest of observers, reports of voter intimidation, threats of violence, harassment and coercion. Reads the statement:
The Secretary-General is closely following developments in Zimbabwe’s elections. He is concerned about the arrest of observers, reports of voter intimidation, threats of violence, harassment and coercion.
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.
The Secretary-General calls on political actors to peacefully settle any disputes through established legal and institutional channels and urges the competent authorities to resolve any disputes in a fair, expeditious, and transparent manner to ensure that the results are a true reflection of the will of the people.
Zimbabwe conducted presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections on 23 and 24 August, with ZANU PF winning the majority of National Assembly seats and its presidential candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the winner with 52.6% of the votes cast.
More than 30 local election observers were arrested in Harare last week for allegedly conducting parallel voter tabulation. They were all granted bail a few days later.
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