AU election observers arrive in Zimbabwe

Ahmed Tejan Kabbah says they are satisfied with the pre-election preparations in Zimbabwe.

Antoinette Lazarus
A 25-member African Union (AU) observer mission has arrived in Zimbabwe to monitor what is termed the country’s March 29, 2008 harmonised elections. Addressing the media in the capital Harare, AU mission head and former Sierra Leone president Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, said the team will monitor the elections within the spirit and letter of the declaration on the principles governing democratic elections in Africa. The declaration was adopted by the assembly of the AU in 2002.

Kabbah says, “The main objective of the mission is to make an honest, independent and impartial observation and assessment of the organisation and conduct of the elections”.

AU satisfied with pre-election preparations
He says they are satisfied with the pre-election preparations. Although the mission has not received any reports of election violence so far, Kabbah stressed they will not tolerate such acts.

He says the team will also liaise and consult with other election observer groups. The other observer groups include the Pan-African Observer mission, SADC and the African Diplomatic corps.

The ANC says everyone should respect the right of Zimbabweans to conduct elections in the manner they see fit. The ruling party was responding to remarks by South African opposition parties who have expressed concern that the conditions in Zimbabwe, ahead of Saturday's crucial poll, are not conducive to the holding of free and fair elections.