AU Commends Zimbabwe For Peaceful Election

HARARE, Aug. 26 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Aug, 2023 ) --:The African Union (AU) and other regional bodies on the continent on Friday commended Zimbabwe for holding a peaceful election.

In separate preliminary statements following this week's general elections, observer missions from the AU, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) hailed the peaceful environment that characterized the pre-election period and voting day.

Zimbabweans voted on Wednesday to choose a president, new members of parliament and representatives of local governments. Voting was extended to Thursday in some parts of the country, particularly in Harare and Bulawayo, due to logistical challenges.

"The AU-COMESA EOM (Elections Observer Mission) observed that the 2023 harmonized elections were conducted up to the counting process, in a generally peaceful and transparent manner despite logistical challenges with the availability and distribution of local authority ballot papers in some areas," said Goodluck Jonathan, head of the joint AU-COMESA election observation mission. "The AU-COMESA EOM commends the people of Zimbabwe for their patience, resilience, and commitment to express their will at the polls."