6 IRI/NDI Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission Final Report Executive Summary The International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) organized the Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission (ZIEOM) for the 2018 Zimbabwe presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections (referred to locally as “harmonized” elections). Recognizing that elections are about more than just Election Day, the seven-month mission analyzed the legal framework and observed the pre-election period; voting and counting on Election Day as well as the announcement of results; and, during the post-election period, the resolution of electoral disputes and taking of office by the winners. Overall, the 85 percent turnout on Election Day, July 30, 2018, irrespective of other considerations, demonstrated that Zimbabweans want to transition away from the divisions, brutality and economic ruin of the Robert Mugabe era. While some significant incremental improvements were demonstrated in the 2018 elections, Zimbabwe has not yet established a process that treats all political parties equitably and allows citizens to be confident that they can cast their vote and express their political opinion free from fear of retribution. Consequently, Zimbabwe‘s democratic trajectory is not certain, and the international community should remain vigilant and engaged in supporting the people’s call for a genuine transition. This report reviews Zimbabwe’s electoral environment and processes, and it offers recommendations to various stakeholders based on IRI’s and NDI’s comparative experience, in the spirit of international cooperation, and with respect for the sovereignty of Zimbabwe. Methodology The ZIEOM methodology is based on systematic, comprehensive gathering of information for fact-based, politically impartial analysis that is presented in the mission’s findings and recommendations. ZIEOM was guided by the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation as well as international and regional standards. The mission carried out its activities in conformity with the laws of Zimbabwe. The 2018 harmonized elections took place against a backdrop of an 18-year political crisis. Extraordinary steps were required to break with the country’s past and set the country on a new trajectory. Therefore, the election process needed to do more than adhere to the letter of the law, show more than just incremental improvements, and result in more than a generally peaceful outcome. Background Zimbabwe’s current political crisis (and the related economic crisis) began in the late 1990s. The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) retained political power through fundamentally flawed elections in 2000, 2002, 2008, and 2013. By late 2017, tensions over succession had exacerbated fractionalization within the ruling party and led to military intervention and the removal of President Robert Mugabe from office. Emmerson Mnangagwa, a senior ZANU-PF stalwart who has been implicated in past government repression, came to power in November 2017, promising economic reforms and credible elections with monitoring by international election observers. In February 2018, long-time opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai died, with Nelson Chamisa emerging as the leader and presidential candidate of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance. That month, just six months before the elections, President Mnangagwa appointed