ZESN Report on the 31 July 2013 Harmonised Elections election outcomes. ZESN calls on all the different political players to consider these recommendations and to apply them in order to improve the credibility of future elections. Whilst there are still questions that remain about the poll, ZESN notes that there were some practices and lessons that other electoral stakeholders could apply in their own contexts. ZESN acknowledges the positive changes to the legal framework, including the introduction of proportional representation to enhance representation of marginalised groups in the political arena. Zimbabwean voters and political parties conducted themselves in a generally peaceful manner and avoided the loss of life and injury that characterized the 2008 elections. Table: 20 LESSONS LEARNT  RECOMMENDATIONS Elections in Zimbabwe and the world over  are now highly technical and thus require a multi-pronged methodology of observation of the entire electoral cycle.     The entire electoral process is important as  well as the other processes feeding into the actual voting, as the Election Day alone does not determine the quality and credibility of the electoral process. International and regional standards should be adhered to when printing ballot papers (5 per cent 10 per cent extra ballots than the total number of registered voters is the internationally accepted standard (AU Preliminary Statement 2013 Zimbabwe elections). But in this election the Commission admitted that it printed 35 per cent extra) ZESN recommends that in future only 5 per cent extra ballot papers be printed to reduce the potential for fraud. Stakeholders, especially political parties, must closely monitor the process of ballot paper printing and distribution so they can deter or detect any fraud associated with the process. The procurement of election materials also needs to be transparent in order to build citizen confidence and to avoid speculation around issues, such as the silver content of the ink. ZESN urges more intensive training of party agent to help them effectively carry out their mandate in the polling station. ZEC must adopt and uphold a stakeholders approach at all levels (national, provincial and district) to enhance transparency in its operations and the meaningful involvement of all stakeholders. 74 | P a g e