party for the National Assembly elections. However, this latter factor also reflected a degree of mismanagement by the parties themselves. VIII. The Election Campaign and Pre-Election Environment Political freedoms were respected during a generally peaceful campaign, but mistrust in ZEC and misuse of state resources were pervasive and reports of intimidation of voters undermines belief in the right to vote freely A The Election Campaign There is a broad consensus among stakeholders that the 2018 election campaign was conducted with an unprecedented level of freedom compared to previous elections, with voters actively participating in campaign events and civil society free to engage without hindrance. The potentially restrictive legal framework (notably the Public Order and Security Act which requires police permission for gatherings and provides the police broad restrictive powers), which was formerly used to control political activities, was not enforced for the campaign until 25 July, when a planned MDC-Alliance demonstration against ZEC was banned by the police.49 For this period prior the polls, basic campaign freedoms of movement, assembly and expression were respected. The campaign was largely peaceful, with some cases of election-related violence, notably with intra-party conflicts resulting from the primaries, and isolated cases of obstruction of opposition campaign activities, most significantly in Harare, Mashonaland Central and Manicaland. The presidential campaign was very competitive, with both main candidates, President Emmerson Mnangagwa of ZANU-PF and Nelson Chamisa of MDC- Alliance, conducting large-scale rallies in all ten provinces. This marked an improvement over previous elections, when opposition rallies were restricted in several areas. In contrast to the generally peaceful campaign environment, a bomb attack on President Mnangagwa’s rally in Bulawayo on 23 June resulted in two members of the presidential guard being killed and 47 other people injured. The immediate reaction of President Mnangagwa, stating that he would not allow “this cowardly act” to impact on the conduct of elections, diminished the chance of any possible negative implications for the campaign. Opposition leaders used social media to express their condolences and condemn the attack. Nelson Chamisa wrote on Twitter: “Violence must have no place in our politics.” On 26 June, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) launched a national Peace Pledge, involving parties and independent candidates, civil society and other stakeholders. Seventeen parties contesting for the presidency signed the Peace Pledge, committing to a violencefree campaign. Positively, similar peace pledge initiatives were undertaken at provincial levels, with candidates affirming their intention to abide by the 2018 Electoral Code of Conduct for Political Parties, Candidates, and other Stakeholders. However, no signings at constituency level were reported by EU observers or the NPRC. Positively, MPLCs were established at provincial levels. EU observers indicated that MPLCs at district and constituency levels functioned well, with better communication and exchanges 49 On 25 July, the police also banned a rally of the Mthwakazi Republic Party (MPR) in Bulawayo. 19