Zimbabwe has told the European Union to “observe” and not “monitor” the 23 August 2023 elections as the two parties signed an Administrative Arrangement (AA) that will see the latter deploy more than 150 election observers.
The signing of the agreement comes after the Government invited the EU to observe the upcoming elections.
Speaking after the signing of the agreement, acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Amon Murwira, said:
Since the advent of universal suffrage in 1980, it has been Zimbabwe’s practice to invite Foreign Governments and Organisations to observe its elections.
In line with this tradition, and the Governments Engagement and Re-Engagement Policy, the Government of Zimbabwe is, once again, inviting international observers to witness the people of Zimbabwe exercise their sovereign right to freely elect a President, Members of the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament, and Local Government Representatives of their choice during these forthcoming Harmonized General Elections.
Among other international organisations, European Union is one of the entities invited to observe the upcoming Harmonised Elections.
An invitation was issued by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Cde. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa to the European Union to observe the elections from the pre-election stage right through elections to the post-election stage.
I want to say the government of Zimbabwe is inviting all entities to come and observe the harmonised elections.
The teams are however reminded that their purpose is solely to observe, not to monitor the election process.
Murwira said the AA will facilitate cooperation and exchange between the Government of Zimbabwe and the European Union. He added:
The EU EOM and its members will maintain strict impartiality, objectivity and independence in the conduct of their mandate.
All EU EOM observers shall respect the Code of Conduct in terms of the First Schedule of the Zimbabwe Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13).
The EU will observe elections in Zimbabwe for a second time running under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government after having previously been banned by late former President Robert Mugabe.
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