The Election Situation Room (ESR) notes that the end of polling brings with it excitement, apprehension, expectations and fear as the people wait for results. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has begun to announce results and the ESR calls for peace and calm as the results are announced. The social media has been awash with results from different sources and this has potential to cause alarm and despondency.
The ESR would like to encourage Zimbabweans to:
- Wait for the official announcement of election results from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
- Maintain peace, tolerance and respect for the Law as the results are being announced.
- Desist from circulating and generating fake news that disturb the peace of the country.
- Political parties must refrain from using inflammatory language which may incite violence and restlessness in the country.
The ESR urges ZEC to expedite the release of results to prevent speculation and suspicion. The ESR once again congratulates Zimbabweans for voting in a peaceful manner.
About
The Election Situation Room was convened by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network. The Election Situation Room provides a platform for effective citizen monitoring and domestic observation of electoral processes, where key stakeholders and the general public can feed information and receive timely updates on key electoral processes. To achieve this, more than 40 organizations drawn from across the country and from different sectors have come together under the banner of the Election Situation Room. It has a Steering Committee that provide guidance and leadership to the ESR. The members of the Steering Committee are: Counselling Services Unit, Election Resource Centre, Habakkuk Trust, Heal Zimbabwe Trust, National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped, National Association of Youth Organizations, Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Christian Alliance, Zimbabwe Election Support Network, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, and Zimbabwe Peace Project. These organizations have accredited observers, monitors, peace ambassadors who are community based. The ESR has a call Centre where members of the public are calling to report any incidents observed.
Source: Election Situation Room (ESR)
