although not all of them contested in the elections. Only 48 political parties eventually contested in the elections. Moreover, the fact that 23 candidates were contesting for the Presidential post was an indication of open competition in the political race. The multiplicity of political parties reinvigorated the public to believe that the true democracy they had yearned for in past elections was a real possibility. An opportunity to select from a big pool of candidates augured well for democracy. The ZHRC welcomed the consistent calls by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for peace in the country. ZHRC participated in the signing of the Peace Pledge which was spearheaded by the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC). ZHRC, holds the view that the conveyance of peace messages across the country brought an element of harmony between political parties and independent candidates. Page 9 of 55