We stand by our tweeter message encouraging voter ...

We stand by our tweeter message encouraging voter registration - US embassy

The United States embassy in Harare spokesperson, Meg Riggs, remains adamant despite a Zimbabwe government reprimand, saying her office stands by their recent tweets urging Zimbabweans to register and vote.

Her remarks come after a US top diplomat in Harare was summoned to a meeting at the Foreign Affairs ministry on Tuesday, accused of election interference.

“We stand by our recent media posts calling for peace during the election season.

“These neutral apolitical messages feature the work of Zimbabwean artists who wanted to engage their fellow youths on the importance of peace during the election process. Elections are a phenomenon part of a functioning democracy.”

Elaine French, the Charge d’Affaires at the US embassy in Harare, was summoned for a meeting by the acting Foreign Affairs secretary, Rofina Chikava, after the embassy posted a tweet urging Zimbabweans to “register to vote and make sure your voice is heard.”

Chikava expressed concern over “election related-social media posts, bordering on activism and meddling in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.

“She stressed that the conduct by the US Embassy was unacceptable as it deviated from conventional diplomatic norms and values enshrined in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961). The ministry also urged the US embassy to refrain from posting such messages in the spirit of re-engagement between our two countries,” the ministry said.

According to Riggs, the meeting “offered an opportunity for our two governments to articulate our policies and concerns.”

“It is the role of the embassy to communicate with the host nation government but it is also the role of the embassy to communicate with the people in each nation through traditional and social media including events that carry our educational, cultural and sports exchange programmes.

“We strongly support a transparent and peaceful process that reflects the will of the people of Zimbabwe,” she said.