later stopped as this was continuously done to the youth by the same ― elders. 5.3.8 Announcement of the 2018 Harmonized Election Results Whilst no election process can be perfect, the announcement of the three sets of 2018 Harmonized Elections results - Presidential, House of Assembly and Council elections - almost followed Section 67 and Section 110 of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13). All election results were announced within the stipulated period of five days from the end of poll. However, questions were raised over the changing figures of the Presidential polls. The initial figures announced by ZEC for ZANU PF and MDC-Alliance presidential candidates were 50.8% and 44.3% respectively. Within a week, the figures for the two candidates were revised to 50.67% and 44.39% respectively. Although ―the final computations do not alter significantly the announced 2018 presidential resultsǁ as argued by ZEC, issues of ―efficiencyǁ and ―transparencyǁ as stated in Section 239(a)(iv) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013 could be easily invoked. Since the figures were revised after the MDC-Alliance Election petition had been lodged with the Electoral Court, there a concerns of suspicion and trust on the part of ZEC generated around the following question: If there was no election petition, was ZEC going to be faithful and transparent enough to revise the maths and inform the nation of the new revised figures for the presidential candidates? Were statistics for other presidential political party candidates not supposed to be revised as well? Should ZEC only be rigorous when there are Election Petitions? 6. POST-ELECTION 6.1. Introduction The immediate post-election period was frightening. Zimbabwe lost more than six lives on 1 August 2018 because of Election. Elsewhere in the communities, there were isolated post-election retribution though they did not last long. The strategy remained the same across the country - intimidation, threats and physical attacks and denial of humanitarian aid (food and agriculture inputs) - with some overzealous traditional and newly elected political leaders as perpetrators: 6.2. Post-Election Scenarios The following are some of the post 2018 Harmonized Election scenarios which could also be seen as basis to influence voters' choices in 2023 Harmonized Elections. 6.2.1. August 1 2018 Shooting of Civilians in Harare Central Business District This scenario is best summarized by the following statement issued by CCJPZ on 2 August 2018: 36 Life is Sacrosanct: Life is more important than ballot papers « On 29 June 2018, the Catholic Bishops' Conference, the legal holder of CCJPZ, issued a pre-election Pastoral Letter commending the relative peace Zimbabwe had experienced in the pre-election period. The Pastoral Letter asked ―for this election to be conducted in an honest, truthful and transparent mannerǁ. CCJPZ emphasized the same messages in a statement released on 27 July 2018: ―we are happy that the pre-election period has been relatively peaceful. There were few incidents of open violenceǁ. The statement also made the following encouragement: After voting, please go home. Spend time with your family and siblings and wait patiently for the results. Let us not take the law into our own hands. If not satisfied with any electoral process, follow the rule of law. Seek remedy with authorities. There is life after elections. « Further statements released by CCJPZ on 30 and 31 July 2018 respectively congratulated Zimbabwe for engaging in peaceful voting processes. 36 A CCJPZ Statement on civilian demonstration and shooting by the security forces on 1 August 2018 released on 2 August 2018 42