The government says the highly contentious 2018 elections which were won by President Emmerson Mnangagwa were unique as they were held after a raft of electoral reforms which necessitated their smooth flow,.
Officially opening a the National Multi-Stakeholder Post Election Review Conference in Nyanga, Justice, legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Virginia Mabhiza said a number of electoral laws gave birth to a democratic election which appealed to all parties involved.
“The elections was unique in several ways as the country is on course to enhance democratic principles through the operationalization of the 2013 Constitution
“It is important to note that the elections were held after some reforms were made to electoral law in the form of amendments to the Electoral Act of Zimbabwe,” said Ziyambi.
He said the amendments ensure that gender was mainstreamed in the Act.
He added that that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commssion can now establish more polling stations for an area that has a large voter population.
“In my view, these amendments and a host of other processes contributed to the pre-election environment that was peaceful,” he said.
In the run-up to the elections, the opposition parties, however, were livid as they said the electoral changes favoured the ruling party.
Although the campaign was free of the systematic violence that marred previous polls, the MDC repeatedly claimed it was hindered by a flawed electoral roll, ballot paper malpractice, voter intimidation, bias in the electoral commission and handouts to voters from the ruling party.
The post-election violence which left six people dead and several others injured soiled the elections as international observers condemned the acts of the army on innocent civilians.
Meanwhile, ZEC Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said the conference will be used to asses the strengths and weaknesses of the commission.
“We hope to evaluate the management and administrative structures for the 2018 Harmonized Elections and their performance in delivering credible elections and addressing gaps.
“We also hope to identify strengths and flows of the 2018 electoral process including but not limited to voter registration, voter education, logistics and training, ” she said
