Four members of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), led by Chairperson Samia Zekaria Gutu, is visiting the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) "to learn about sound elections management practices".
The ZEC sees the visit as confirmation that the commission's conduct during the last general elections "was impressive", despite the organisation facing criticism over the disputed vote in July.
Ethiopia's new leader has enacted a series of reforms, and promised free and fair polls in 2020.
The East African country's former prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn chaired the African Union's election observer mission to Zimbabwe, which some Western observer missions criticised.
Some Zimbabweans were unimpressed:
Replying to @ZECzim
No, It's confirmation that your rigging conduct impressed them.They want to ask for tips. They want to know how to create ghost polling stations with identical figures,make 300000 pple vote in 2hrs,keep official voters roll a secret until last minutes among other things.
Replying to @ZECzim
That might be a little too much horn tooting my friends. It could mean you were so good at rigging they want your formula. Just say the Ethiopian team is coming to Learn from ZEC about the BVR & leave it there. Impressive is an exaggeration & you know it #wordsmatter
Replying to @ZECzim
Probably they want to learn how not to run elections.Why do u have to force it down pples's throats that ZEC did well?If you do well, we will see it & say it without any effort from you.
While few agreed with the ZEC's assessment:
Replying to @ZECzim
#ZEC is setting the pace, they did a great job which attracted & invited other countries to learn on how they handled the just ended harmonised elections!
Zimbabwe's main opposition had lost their court challenge, alleging manipulation, against the election results.
