The incumbent is destroying relationships he needs to rebuild Zimbabwe's economy, and the challenger is undermining the vote he says will make him president.
Nelson Chamisa is questioning the validity of the election he says he will win.
In his corner as of Friday are all the major observer missions, of which the South African Development Community is the most important; the election does not meet the standards required to be free and fair, those missions said. The Zanu-PF approach has played out most clearly via state media – blatantly biased against the opposition – now pushing the narrative that observers are taking sides in a political contest.
In previous elections, the regional bloc never took such a clear stance, and never came in for such treatment. Its proclamation on the lack of credibility can only make for yet worse treatment of observers, which could spell disaster for Zimbabwe's international relations at a critical time. In response, the mission said the accusations were fabricated sideshows to undermine its observation of the elections.
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