stages. In Marondera it was noted that those parties and candidates who lost in the constituency also lost interest in observing the constituency collation process. This underlines the importance of impartial local observer groups to cover the process as political parties are unlikely to sign for results that do not favour them even when the process was conducted in a proficient manner. Some party agents and CSOs claimed that polling station return forms, the V11, were altered and return figures changed at ward and constituency collation centres. The EU EOM was informed of an MDC-A party agent in Gokwe South who refused to sign such a ‘replacement’ V11 form and claimed being harassed during the night by army personnel. The EU EOM observed ZEC officers in Makoni North completing V11 forms two days after Election Day, even though polling staff and party agents were not present. They claimed this was due to the earlier lack of V11 forms. In other areas EU EOM observers have not received verifiable reports on alteration of results. EU observers, however, reported only of minor administrative corrections which were made to V11, ward and constituency forms, such as numerical and spelling errors, and cases of missing signatures or ZEC stamps, and that corrections were made in the presence of party agents in most cases. Recommendation 18: The results management process must be coherent and better explained to all stakeholders in order to enhance the transparency, verifiability and integrity of the election. This could include publishing the original V11 and V23a/b returns. XIV. Election Results and Post-Election Environment A close and contested outcome to the presidential election and presentation of results lacked verifiability. A disproportional reaction by security forces to disturbances, preceded an overall deterioration of the political environment A Election Results On 3 August the ZEC chairperson declared the presidential results with the incumbent, Emmerson D. Mnangagwa, receiving 2,460,463 votes (50.8%), while the opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa received 2,147,436 (44.3%). With a margin of victory of 313,027 votes (around 38,000 votes over the 50% threshold) Mnangagwa was declared President-elect. Shortly before the declaration at 00.40, the chairperson and chief agent of MDC-Alliance, Morgen Komichi, took to the stage and declared that his party “totally rejected the results” and that he therefore refused to sign the results’ form.74 The MDC-Alliance later lodged an unsuccessful legal challenge to the presidential result (see Electoral Disputes section). The announcement of the National Assembly results was finalised on 2 August, and ZEC only published the lists of all members declared elected to the parliament some two weeks later, taking account of the proportional distribution of seats based on party lists. These results are subject to change still depending on the outcome of petitions related to the National Assembly elections (see Electoral Disputes section). 74 Morgen Komichi was removed by the police. Later he stated that he was not given access to the verification process. He called the elections fraudulent and illegal. 35