Zimbabwe Rejects US Ambassador's Criticism Of 2023 Elections

The Government of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, has dismissed the recent remarks made by the new United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Pamela Tremont, that the 2023 general elections were not free and fair.

In a statement released last week, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Jenfan Muswere, said Zimbabwe’s 2023 harmonised elections were conducted in full accordance with the country’s Constitution. He said:

I wish to address the remarks made by the US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Pamela M. Tremont, regarding our nation’s electoral process.

It is important to reaffirm that Zimbabwe’s elections were conducted in accordance with our Constitution. Zimbabweans voted in a transparent, fair and democratic process which saw President Emmerson Mnangagwa being re-elected.

The decision on who leads and governs Zimbabwe is made by Zimbabweans. We have a robust and independent electoral system that ensures the will of the people is respected.

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It is a testament to our sovereignty and our commitment to democratic principles that we handle our internal affairs with integrity and dedication.

Muswere went further to suggest that the United States itself has experienced disputed elections in the past, and therefore lacks the moral authority to lecture other countries, including Zimbabwe, on the matter of free and fair elections. He said:

I also want to appeal to the US ambassador to reflect on the 2000 US presidential election between President George W. Bush and Al Gore and the recent election between President Biden and Mr Donald Trump.

These were complex situations that tested the resilience of American democracy. However, the United States handled it within its own legal and constitutional framework.

In this spirit, the US cannot be the international electoral body to run elections in Zimbabwe.

Muswere went further to point out that the United States has also experienced instances of politically motivated violence, such as the recent attempted assassination of Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump. He said:

The former president is being dragged to court in what many observers say is tantamount to undemocratic practices.

In Zimbabwe, we are a friend to all and an enemy to none. We believe that a stable and peaceful United States is beneficial for the entire world.

As such, we urge our American counterparts to concentrate on addressing their internal challenges, fostering unity, and ensuring a safe environment for their candidates and citizens during this critical election period.

In a press conference held in Harare on Thursday, Tremont said that Zimbabwe’s 2023 general elections were not free and fair, though she did so in diplomatic language. She said:

You know, we had some real problems with the elections here. So did SADC, and so did the EU.

Unfortunately, we were not able to verify the elections ourselves because our election observers’ activities were impeded.

So we cannot testify one way or the other. So we do have concerns about the way the elections were run.

But in the meantime, I look forward to working with all the political parties to get to understand their viewpoints and see how they, interact with each other.

More: Pindula News