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Zimpapers Elections Desk
HEAD of the SADC Elections Observer Mission (SEOM), Dr Nevers Mumba, broke all the guidelines of observer missions when he compiled his preliminary report on the recently concluded harmonised elections, analysts and observers have said.
Dr Mumba has been under scrutiny ever since he released a report that had the fingerprints of the opposition, with political players saying he is not fit for purpose.
Political commentator Mr Rutendo Matinyarare said the code of conduct for the elections observers of SADC are consistent with those of the OAU/AU declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa.
Mr Matinyarare said in this regard, the SADC election missions were expected to adhere to the code of conduct.
According to the guidelines, observers should maintain strict impartiality in the conduct of their duties, and shall at no time express any bias or preference in relation to national authorities, parties and candidates in contention in the Election process.
However, the document that Dr Mumba presented as the SADC preliminary report was almost similar to presentations that were made to him by the opposition prior to the elections.
The guidelines further state that observers should not display or wear any partisan symbols, colours or banners. Also they shall neither accept nor attempt to procure any gifts, favours or inducements from a candidate, their agent, the parties or any other organisation or person involved in the electoral process.
However, Dr Mumba accompanied Mr Nelson Chamisa, the leader of CCC, to cast his vote on August 23.
The other obligations are that the observer missions shall immediately disclose to the relevant SADC structures any relationship that could lead to a conflict of interest with their duties or with the process of the observation and assessment of the elections.
Dr Mumba, who once formed an alliance with Mr Chamisa’s predecessor, the late Morgan Tsvangirai, and whose party shares an almost similar name with CCC, did not make such a disclosure.
Apart from that, the guidelines also state that all reports must be based on well documented, factual, and verifiable evidence from multiple credible sources as well as their own eye witness accounts.
However, Dr Mumba’s preliminary report is based more on hearsay. Examples include his pronouncements on the delimitation phase which was concluded before he came to Zimbabwe.
Further, the guidelines include that SADC shall seek a response from the person or organisation concerned before treating any unsubstantiated allegation as valid.
It also says the observers shall identify in their reports the exact information and the sources of the information they have gathered and used as a basis for their assessment of the electoral process or environment.
The observer mission shall report all information gathered or witnessed by them honestly and accurately. It shall, when meeting election officials, relevant state authorities and public officials, parties, candidates and their agents, inform them of the aims and objectives of the SEOM.
Other guidelines are that observers may wish to bring irregularities to the attention of the local election officials, but they must never give instructions or countermand decisions of the election officials.
Also observers will carry any prescribed identification issued at all times, and will identify themselves to any interested authority upon request, will undertake their duties in an unobtrusive manner, and will not interfere with the election process, polling day procedures, or the vote count.
Other guidelines are that observers will refrain from making personal or premature comments or judgements about their observations to the media or any other interested persons, and will limit any remarks to general information about the nature of their activity as observers.
Also, observers must participate in the briefings/training provided by the SEOM and must provide their reports on time to their supervisors and attend any debriefings as required; and should work harmoniously with each other and with observers from other organisations in their area of deployment.
Our publication has already exposed compromised Dr Mumba, who hails from Zambia, for being a mouthpiece of the opposition as he presented an elections report with contents outside his mandate as provided for by the law.
Dr Mumba’s stance towards the opposition was clearly unquestionable as instead of giving a report on elections observations, he overstepped by commenting on judiciary issues that only suited the opposition’s narrative.
He was at pains to accuse the judiciary of sidelining presidential aspirant Mr Saviour Kasukuwere while deliberately ignoring highlighting that the same judiciary is the one that reinstated on the ballot 12 CCC Bulawayo National Assembly candidates.
Dr Mumba, who touched down at Robert Mugabe International Airport on August 17, deliberately decided to tackle delimitation issues instead of addressing issues observed from the time he arrived up to the conduction of polls.
Sources said Dr Mumba, an appointee of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, the current chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, was always gravitating towards the Western embassies’ position with a pre-conceived position on the country’s polls.
Online Reporter