Secretary-General, Commending Zimbabweans for Peaceful Election Day, Hopes

for Same Calm during Vote Counting, Responsible, Inclusive Governance

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General has been following the elections in Zimbabwe closely.  He commends the Zimbabwean people for a broadly peaceful election day and for exercising their democratic rights.  He stresses, at the same time, that the concerns which have been raised about certain aspects of the electoral process should be pursued through established channels.  These concerns should then be considered transparently and fairly.  The most important thing is that the will of the people of Zimbabwe is respected.

The Secretary-General hopes that the same calm and peaceful atmosphere will prevail during the vote counting and throughout the completion of the electoral process.  In this regard, he recalls the commitment made by the incumbent President and Prime Minister, as well as other political parties, to ensure peaceful elections, and he calls on them to send clear messages of calm to their supporters.

The United Nations encourages the country's leadership to govern responsibly and inclusively and to pursue policies and reforms that could serve to deepen democratic governance, and also spur economic recovery that would benefit all Zimbabweans.

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For information media • not an official record