The Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) has lost control of the election process in that country, the Pan African Parliament (PAP) Observer Mission said on Wednesday.

"Judging by the mystery surrounding the outcome of the presidential results and the unorthodox recounting of the ballots even before all the results of the harmonised elections are known, it is evident that the ZEC long lost control of the electoral process and its constitutional obligation has been gravely compromised," said a report presented by the observer mission to the PAP on Wednesday.

Whatever the outcome of the elections at this stage, the results would be disputed by political parties, said the report. Aside from questioning the registration of some 8000 voters, the mission also found that the ZEC had printed a total of nine million ballot papers — which is about 50 percent more than the number of registered voters.

The observer mission recommended that the situation in Zimbabwe be closely monitored and called for a "timeous intervention" by the African Union and the Southern African Development Community before the situation got "out of control".

AFP