Zimbabwe’s government has accused the US embassy of interfering in its electoral politics and violating diplomatic norms by posting tweets that urge Zimbabweans to vote in peace. The presidential spokesperson said that the US charge d’affaires will be summoned to explain his mission’s actions, which could result in barring American observers from monitoring the upcoming elections.
The US embassy launched a campaign on its Twitter handle that encouraged Zimbabweans to register and exercise their constitutional right to choose their representatives in legitimate, credible and peaceful elections. The hashtag #VoteInPeace was used in the tweets.
However, Zimbabwe’s government saw this as an attempt to influence the outcome of the elections and undermine its sovereignty. The presidential spokesperson said that the tweets were in breach of the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations and a serious conversation was needed with the US embassy’s top diplomat.
