ERC, ZESN incapacitated by arrest
Grace Moyo
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) and Election Resource Centre (ERC) are unable to verify the presidential election outcome following the arrest of their staff and volunteers on election night.
“As a result of the drastic lengths the Government of Zimbabwe took to prevent nonpartisan, independent observation of the counting and tabulation process, the ERC and ZESN are unable to verify the outcome of the presidential election,” said the election watchdogs in a joint statement.
On election night, government security forces descended on ERC and ZESN data centre and arrested all staff and volunteers present and also confiscated equipment including laptops and phones. They also targeted and arrested other staff in close locations, in some cases violently.
“The security forces’ uncalled for and unjustified actions not only prevented independent nonpartisan verification of the official results announced by the ZEC, but also cast a shadow over the entire election process.”
The staff who were arrested on dubious allegations of “intent” to announce results ahead of the electoral management body were later released on $200 bail each.
“ERC and ZESN call on the government to drop the charges leveled against our staff and observers and to take urgent measures to protect and stop harassment of accredited citizen election observers.”
ERC and ZESN also implored ZEC to make disaggregated polling station level results publicly available online for the 12 370 polling stations.
In 2018, ZESN deployed sample based observation (SBO) publicised its projections after ZEC’s declaration of the election results. The projection was well received by President Mnangagwa who tweeted in approval of the SBO projections. ZEC also relied upon these projections in the Constitutional Court hearing of Nelson Chamisa’s presidential petition.
ZEC, through chairperson, Priscilla Chigumba is on record encouraging civil society and political parties to conduct parallel voter tabulations.
