IRI/NDI Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission Final Report 17 team also included U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass, and former U.S. assistant secretaries of state for African affairs, Ambassador Johnnie Carson and Constance Berry Newman.6 Prior to Election Day, the ZIEOM deployed 60 observers to 10 provinces throughout Zimbabwe, who witnessed the election’s administration, voting, counting, and the overall atmosphere. The ZIEOM observers visited more than 210 polling stations and submitted periodic reports to the ZIEOM command center in Harare. On August 1, ZIEOM issued a preliminary statement that provided an assessment of pre-election and Election Day processes.7 Following the tragic events of August 1 that claimed the lives of six people, ZIEOM issued a joint statement denouncing the violence in partnership with other international observer groups. On and immediately following Election Day, ZIEOM observers also analyzed the vote counting, tabulation, and transmission process as well as the announcement of the election results. ZIEOM observers analyzed the overall results management process and the post-election environment. During this period, a systematic crackdown on opposition leaders and activists occurred in Harare and elsewhere. ZIEOM issued an August 9 statement expressing deep concern over the reported 6 NDI Senior Associate and Director of Electoral Programs Patrick Merloe, IRI Vice President for Programs Scott Mastic, IRI Regional Director John Tomaszewski, and the ZIEOM co-directors Larry Garber (NDI) and Jessica Keegan (IRI) accompanied the leaders. 7 See Appendix B. The delegation noted “several improvements to the electoral process compared to Zimbabwe’s past elections, though equally important problems give rise to deep concerns that the process thus far has not made the mark.”