Harare, 1 August 2013/ ACP: The ACP Committee of Ambassadors, in response to an invitation from the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe, dispatched an Ambassadorial Mission to observe the harmonized elections – Presidential, Legislative and Local Government – held on 31 July 2013.

The mission visited polling stations in Harare urban, Harare rural and Goromonzi. We must emphasise that our comments are based on what we actually observed during our visits to these polling stations. To this end, we observed a large turnout of the electorate who were determined to exercise their constitutional and democratic rights to vote in an orderly and organised manner. It is also our view that the elections were conducted in a peaceful and credible manner without any incidences of violence or intimidation. We look forward to the timely release of the elections results by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

The ACP Elections Observation Mission has been in Zimbabwe from 29 July 2013. The Mission is led by H.E. Mr. Samuel O. OUTLULE, Ambassador of Botswana to Brussels, and includes H.E. Fatumanava III Dr. Pa’o LUTERU, Ambassador of Samoa, H.E. Mr. Alejandro GONZALEZ PONS, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, and Mr. Lawrence CHILIMBOYI from the ACP Secretariat.

Pictured from top:

(1)Ambassador Luteru of Samoa has a conversation with voters;

(2)ACP Observation Mission members in Harare;

(3) Voters in line at the polls

(Photos by Lawrence Chillimboyi/ACP Secretariat)

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