Britain calls for effective monitoring of Zim elections

By Tichaona Sibanda
20 February 2008

British foreign secretary David Miliband has called for effective international monitoring of next month’s harmonised elections, amid serious concerns they will not be free and fair.

Miliband told the British Parliament on Tuesday that Zimbabwe was suffering from an economic, humanitarian and political crisis for which Robert Mugabe was directly responsible.

‘The conditions for elections are far from free and fair. We are pressing for effective international monitoring and for states in the region to require the election to meet international standards,’ said the foreign secretary.

Zanu PF has said it will only invite friendly nations to observe and monitor the crucial elections set for the 29th March. One such country is South Africa,whose foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the chance of a free and fair election was good if all the agreements reached as part of the political facilitation process are implemented.

‘If they implement the laws that parliament passed around security, information and media then the prospects should be good,’ Dlamini-Zuma said. Zanu-PF and the opposition MDC have been engaged in talks mediated by President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa since April last year.

The MDC chief representative in London Hebson Makuvise disagreed with Dlamini-Zuma’s assessment of the elections and labeled her statement as very mild.

‘The statement lacks clarity because she knows the elections will never be free and fair. Zanu-PF has done nothing to implement laws agreed to during the talks, but have instead through the police banned political rallies in Masvingo. We all know Zanu-PF will defy this order, but the moment the MDC tries it there would be mayhem from the police,’ Makuvise said.

But Makuvise welcomed Miliband’s statement on an international monitoring force, saying it was encouraging, despite objections from the regime.

‘We need genuine monitors and not people who are invited from the so-called friendly nations to come and enjoy the country’s scenic views and good food and rubber stamp a discredited exercise,’ Makuvise said.

Mugabe, facing his biggest challenge to his 28-year old hold on power, has been accused of rigging the last three major elections and of using security forces to quell dissent.