By Olayinka Ajayi
Ahead of Zimbabwe’s general elections, Nigeria’s former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has urged Zimbabweans to show commitment to democracy and peaceful election come August 23.
Jega, who has been listed as one of the key electoral experts, will lead international observers to Zimbabwe.
According to the Carter Center, the mission will assess electoral preparations, the electoral environment, including election administration, campaigning, participation of women and ethnic minorities, social media, dispute resolution, and other aspects of the election process.
Reacting to the development, the former INEC Boss who urged Zimbabweans to conduct themselves peacefully during and after the elections said, “It’s an honor to lead the Center’s mission to observe Zimbabwe’s August 23 harmonized elections,
“I urge all Zimbabweans, including political party members, candidates, and voters, to show their commitment to democracy and peaceful elections.”
The core team of eight international experts and two national experts is based in Harare. Fifteen long-term observers arrived in Zimbabwe and were deployed throughout the country the first week of August. Short-term observers will arrive on Aug. 18 and deploy around the country to observe polling, counting, and tabulation on election day. The international mission is diverse and has experts and experienced observers from nearly 30 countries, including several in the southern African region.
The Carter Center conducts its work in accordance with the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and will make assessments based on Zimbabwe’s national legal framework as well as regional and international obligations and standards for democratic elections, including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance, which the government of the Republic of Zimbabwe ratified in April 2022.
The Carter Center has been a pioneer in election observation, monitoring more than 110 elections in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the United States since 1989. It deployed an election expert mission to Zimbabwe in 2018.
Source: Vanguard