United Nations, 27 August – The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, called today for the avoidance of any form of violence in Zimbabwe in the face of reports condemning acts of intimidation and voter coercion in the recent elections.
In a statement issued here, the UN Secretary-General expressed concern about “the arrest of observers, reports of voter intimidation, threats of violence, harassment and coercion”.
The text calls on political leaders and their supporters to reject any form of violence, threat or incitement, as well as to ensure full respect for human rights and the rule of law.
At the same time, it demands the peaceful resolution of any dispute through the existing legal and institutional channels.
Guterres urges the relevant authorities to resolve their differences in a fair, prompt and transparent manner to ensure that the results are a true reflection of the will of the people.
The statement comes after Zimbabwe’s opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, on Sunday denounced the “massive and blatant fraud” in the presidential election in which Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner.
International media and observers spoke of an atmosphere of intimidation, to which was added the announcement of the results on Saturday evening, two days before the expected date. (Text and photo: PL)
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