12.4 Election observer missions should closely monitor implementation of recommendations to ensure that they are effected before the next elections. stakeholders, particularly citizens. To ensure compliance with regional and international standards and best practice. Election observer missions 20 CONCLUSION Notable improvements in law and practice were witnessed during the electoral cycle for the 2018 harmonised elections, including the relatively peaceful campaign season, improved quality of voter education, and provision of voting materials. ZEC engagement with stakeholders, though not adequate, was also an improvement when compared with the 2013 elections. However, the integrity of the 2018 harmonised elections was undermined by an uneven pre-election playing field. Some of the actions which marred the electoral process include widespread intimidation of registrants by political actors who claimed to be able to track individual voting preferences of registrants whose registration slip serial numbers they had recorded. In addition, the partisan role of some traditional leaders who openly engaged in partisan politics, the partisan distribution of food aid, the use of state resources in campaigns, biased reporting by the public media, and the rather ineffective stakeholder engagement by the Commission also marred the electoral processes. The effect of the foregoing was to skew the electoral playing field. Furthermore, transparency of the electoral process was compromised by the manner in which ZEC managed ballot papers procurement, design and printing and packaging, transmission and announcement of results. These critical processes were largely not open to political party agents and election observers, making it difficult for stakeholders to measure ZEC’s compliance with provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act and Regional and International Standards. The outcome of the election showed that it was a heavily contested plebiscite, with the two major political parties securing the control of rural and urban constituencies respectively. The presidential election was even closer, with the two main protagonists separated by a very small margin. Resultantly, the ruling party is controlling most of the rural constituencies, while the main opposition political party controls most of urban constituencies, creating a deeply divided nation. It is therefore imperative that the government invests in efforts that promote national healing and reconciliation, especially following the tragic deaths of 106 | P a g e