10 PRE-ELECTION ENVIRONMENT AND ELECTION CAMPAIGNS 10.1 Pre-Election Environment A proper understanding of elections proceeds from the conceptualization of the electoral process as constituting a cycle; elections are not an event. The electoral cycle comprises of the pre-election, election, and the post-election periods. The import of the foregoing is that the quality of an election is a function of several factors including developments that precede and transcend the Election Day. ZESN therefore closely tracked processes and developments in the pre-2018 election period. Accordingly, ZESN LTOs who observed from 18 May to 30 August 2018 were mandated to observe and report on key electoral processes in the period leading to the election, including preparations by the ZEC; voter education campaigns; Nomination Court proceedings; inspection of the voters’ roll; campaign rallies and meetings as well as other activities of political parties; and the training of the ZEC polling officials. The LTOs would also meet with key stakeholders, including political parties and voters, in their respective constituencies. The election date was proclaimed by President Mnangagwa and published in Statutory Instrument 83 of 2018 in an extraordinary government gazette on 30 May 2018. The President also set 8 September 2018 as the date for a presidential election run-off in the event that it would be required. Generally, and in comparative terms, freedoms of assembly; association; speech; and the media, among others, were enjoyed more in the pre-2018 election environment than in previous elections. In respect of the political environment, it is worth noting from the onset that the pre-election environment in the run-up to the 30 July 2018 election was relatively peaceful. Previous elections were characterised by incidents of open conflicts and sometimes election-related violent encounters. Efforts made by political parties to promote peace in the electoral process are laudable. For instance, at the national level, and for the first time in the history of elections in Zimbabwe, political party leaders committed to a peaceful campaign by signing a peace pledge on 26 June 2018, although the leaders of the two major parties, President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa, were represented by officials from their parties. Furthermore, political parties organised joint peace marches in some constituencies around the country, for example in Zvishavane and Gokwe Central constituencies. ZESN also observed that the campaign space was more open than before as evidenced by campaign rallies that were held, virtually unhindered, including in areas where opposition political parties would historically not hold rallies. Also, demonstrations were allowed to proceed without attracting backlash from the State ahead of the elections. 58 | P a g e