Appendix A 68 IRI-NDI Pre-Election Assessment Mission Statement Zimbabwe 2018 Harmonized Elections day, while essential for maintaining public order, should not interfere in the process and should follow instructions from the polling officials. ● Release Both the Preliminary and Final Voters Rolls in Electronic Format – The Electoral Act requires the ZEC to release the final voters roll, and the ZEC chairperson has publicly committed to doing so. However, given serious concerns with the voters roll from past elections, the ZEC should release both the preliminary and final voters rolls in an analyzable electronic format to all candidates immediately following the completion of the nominations process. ● Provide Equal Access to Media and Information for Opposition Candidates and Citizens – The opening of space and provision of equitable coverage for opposition political parties and candidates on both state-run and private media outlets is one of the most significant ways to ensure an informed electorate, and a free and fair campaign. While equal coverage and access has not been provided to date, there is still an opportunity to address this critical weakness in the pre-election environment. The Media Monitoring Committee, to be established within ZEC, should engage with other government institutions and media outlets to ensure equitable access and coverage. The government has publicly committed to not impeding access to social media or the internet on or around election day, and we encourage the government to fulfill this pledge. ● Announce Final List of Polling Stations – The amendments to the Electoral Act passed on May 28 vest ZEC with the authority to establish additional polling stations in order to alleviate lines at polling stations with high numbers of registrants. While the creation of new polling stations to reduce lines and more efficiently process voters on election day is a welcome development, concerns exist about the ad hoc establishment and late announcement of new polling sites, limiting opportunities for the parties to designate party agents. The Commission should publicly commit to using the authority provided by the new legislation to establish only sub-stations in places where polling sites have too large a number of registered voters. ● Permit Observation of Ballot Printing, Storage and Distribution Processes – Various stakeholders raised concerns with the procurement and printing of ballot papers. This process should be transparent to provide the public confidence that the proper number of ballot papers are being printed and meet defined technical specifications. The ZEC chair has committed to allowing the political parties to observe all aspects of this process, but this must be translated into meaningful observation, pursuant to a dialogue between the Commission and the political parties. ● Hold Parties Accountable to the Political Party Code of Conduct – The inclusion of a revised political party code of conduct in the recently passed amendments to the Electoral Act was a positive development. In advance of elections, domestic and international stakeholders – including the public - must support an environment whereby adherence to the code of conduct is upheld. This requires political parties to sanction their own members for breaches of the 8