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Farirai Machivenyika

Senior Reporter

The EU Observer Mission (EUOM) yesterday said they are in the country to observe and not monitor next month’s elections and pledged to carry out their work in an impartial manner without interference in the processes.

The reassurance was given by EUOM Deputy Chief Observer Dr Beata Martin-Rozumilowicz during a send off ceremony of the 46 -member team of long-term observers across the country.

EUOM is in the country at the invitation of Government as part of the administrative agreement signed by the two parties in June.

“Today we are deploying the long-term observers to all parts of the country, to all 10 provinces, so they will be throughout the country in all areas, not just in Harare but to all the villages throughout the country to better understand how the elections are developing, the various activities, all the way through the elections administration and the way that the campaign is going and also the critical role that the media plays in the elections,” she said.

“All these issues will be looked at, analysed and reflected in the report that the EUOM will make. 

“This will come after the election day since we maintain a strict principle of non-interference. 

“We are here to observe elections and not monitor elections. This means that we do this in an independent and impartial way. We will look at all aspects of the process we are granted by the administrative agreement that was signed by EU and the Government of Zimbabwe giving access to all those aspects of the elections but we will not be commenting on the process as it is on-going. 

“We will make that statement approximately two days after the elections in our preliminary statement.”

Dr Martin-Rozumilowicz told the observer team that their mission was important to both the EU and Zimbabwe and reiterated that they were in the country at the Government’s invitation.

“You will be our eyes and ears in the field and you will be meeting all levels of interlocutors and will meet all political sides to understand how this election is taking place but most importantly to understand how those principles and standards which Zimbabwe has willingly agreed to are being respected and reflected in the election process which is moving forwards,” she said.

On Monday, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Frederick Shava told a diplomats and observers briefing that the Zimbabwe Government had nothing to hide in its electoral processes as seen by the invitation of observer teams for the elections on August 23.