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Zimbabwe: More SADC Poll Observers Jet Into Country
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
21 March 2008
Posted to the web 21 March 2008
Harare
THE second batch of the Sadc election observer team started arriving in the country yesterday and will be accredited before they are deployed to various parts of the country.
Sadc secretariat media officer, Mr Charles Mubita said the observers were expected to have a full complement by Sunday.
"They have been arriving since last night and more are expected today and tomorrow and it is our hope by Sunday all the observers from our mission would have arrived. We expect the observers to be not less than 120 and once they arrive, they will join their colleagues who are already on the ground in various parts of the country," said Mr Mubita in an interview.
Head of Sadc electoral observer mission, Mr Jose Marcos Barrica have held several meetings with political parties, civic society, ambassadors accredited to Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission among other several stakeholders they have met.
He met secretary general for the Morgan Tsvangirai MDC faction, Tendai Biti, Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity, Cde Nathan Shamuyarira and Ibbo Mandaza, national co-ordinator for independent presidential candidate, Simba Makoni.
Mr Barrica yesterday met observers from the regional bloc who had been deployed to several areas to get a feedback from them.
"Today we have decided not to meet stakeholders but our observers who are on the field and assess the situation, receive reports from them," said Mr Mubita.
Mr Barrica held a media briefing on Wednesday evening to update them on the political situation prevailing.
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He said his preliminary assessment of the situation had shown that the political environment prevailing in the country was conducive to have a free and fair election.
Mr Barrica who is the Angolan Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture said observers from Sadc would be deployed in a team of 20 each and a pronouncement on the freeness and fairness of the election would be made after the completion of the processes.
He urged the media to be responsible in its reportage of the elections, saying what they publish had an effect of influencing the voting pattern.
This very open, transparent and indisputably democratic approach organized by Sadc to monitor the Zimbabwe election is a testimony that shows the world that Africa can successfully and peacefully manage its affairs. The Sadc Poll observers are already in the country and the leader of the Sadc electoral observer mission, Mr. Jose Marcos Barrica, met with and had meetings with all the opposition Presidential candidates and other stake holders to establish the overall situation in the country at the time leading to and prior to the election. It is heartening to learn that, subsequent to these meetings, he... [Read Full Text]
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