Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
A Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) delegation led by chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba, is in Belarus to observe that country’s 2025 presidential election.
The observation mission is part of a broader effort by international organisations to monitor the election and promote democratic practices.
Speaking to the media after touring some polling stations, Justice Chigumba said she was satisfied with the security features of the ballot papers.
“We were also impressed by the security features which were demonstrated to us on the ballot boxes, because we were keen to see the ballots that had been cast in the pre-voting period, where they were kept, and in each polling station that we visited.
“They showed us a special ballot box for the pre-voting ballot papers, then we were actually shown the security features. So what we found was, firstly, the watermark on the actual ballot paper, that’s a security feature, and on the actual ballot boxes, there is a signature on one side, and there is a seal, a wax seal. So we were quite satisfied with the security features on the actual ballot boxes.”
Voters began casting their ballots at 8am Belarusian time yesterday in the country’s first presidential vote since Incumbent Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s landslide victory in 2020.
Yesterday was the designated election day. However, preliminary voting started on January 21 and ended on January 25.
Preliminary voting is for people who are unable to vote on election day for various reasons and they voted between January 21 and 25.
Voting in the Belarus Presidential Elections ended at 8pm last night and counting of results of the preliminary voting began immediately.
