THE ASIAN Network for Free Elections (Anfrel) has condemned the raid and arbitrary arrest of local observers last week.
Armed police stormed Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) offices and arrested 39 election monitors and seized computers and related election materials.
The arrested comprised workers from Zesn and the Election Resource Centre (ERC) who were monitoring and giving updates on the election. The workers have since been granted US$200 bail each.
In a statement, Anfrel, a Thailand-based independent and non-partisan non-governmental organisation working to ensure free and fair elections in Asia, said: “Anfrel strongly denounces the recent incident involving the raid and the arbitrary detention of both staff and volunteers associated with ERC and Zesn. This transpired shortly after the closure of polls and during the commencement of vote counting at polling stations.
“It is incumbent upon the authorities to safeguard the freedom and entitlements of these citizen election observers, as stipulated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the Constitution of Zimbabwe.”
Anfrel said government's assault on election observers not only jeopardised the integrity of the electoral process but also undermined the broader human rights landscape within the nation.
“Anfrel reiterates the critical role that election observers play within any electoral process. Their presence is indispensable in ensuring transparency and preserving the integrity of electoral proceedings. A governmental assault on election observers not only jeopardizes the integrity of the electoral process but also undermines the broader human rights landscape within the nation,” the Asian election watchdog said.
“In this context, Anfrel stands united in solidarity with citizen observer groups in Zimbabwe. Their relentless pursuit of free and fair elections in the nation resonates with Anfrel's commitment to these principles.”
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Meanwhile, in a joint statement, the election watchdogs said the arrest has left them incapacitated to verify disputed presidential results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission declaring Zanu PF candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa the winner.
“As a result of the drastic lengths the government of Zimbabwe took to prevent non-partisan, independent observation of the counting and tabulation processes, the ERC and Zesn are unable to verify the outcome of the presidential election,” the joint statement read.
The arrest of Zesn and ERC staff has also been condemned by election mission observers as well as countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.
