CCC urges SADC to uphold own election report
The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has urged SADC leaders to uphold the SADC Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM) to Zimbabwe report of the 23 August elections and address issues raised in the report.
In a statement, CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Siziba called on the Extraordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State, which kicked off virtually yesterday and will reconvene in person on the 4th November in Angola, to deal decisively with Zimbabwe’s disputed election.
“The SADC Electoral Observer Mission declared that the election held on August 23 violated the country’s Constitution and significantly deviated from the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections,” said Siziba.
He added: “Consequently, we urge SADC to urgently tackle the genuine risk posed by the sham August plebiscite to regional stability.
The crisis cannot be disregarded, as it visibly strains social services in neighboring countries and lays the groundwork for widespread insecurity.”
Siziba revealed that the CCC filed a petition with SADC under its SEAC Dispute Resolution mechanisms, which facilitate peaceful resolution of electoral disputes in the region.
“It is time for decisive regional action. We call upon SADC to uphold their Observer Mission Report and facilitate a process whereby Zimbabwe can regain legitimacy, firmly rooted in the free will of the people.
This will ensure stability in the region and discourage anti-democratic regimes from obstructing the collective will of their citizens.
Only then can the regional destabilization stemming from Zimbabwe’s deepening political crisis be resolved.”
In his opening remarks, the SADC Chairperson and President of Angola João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço commended Zimbabwe and Eswatini for conducting “exemplary” elections, much to the excitement of ruling party supporters on social media.
The SEOM report highlighted the role of Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ), a ZANU PF affiliate group in intimidating rural voters, partisan state media and police, ZEC’s chaotic delimitation report and refusal to release the voters’ roll to candidates, delay of voting in opposition strongholds, prohibitive candidate nomination fees, among other factors that made for an unlevel playing field.
