allAfrica.com: Zimbabwe: SADC Observer Mission Accused of Prejudging Electoral Process (Page 1 of 1)

THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) observer mission to Zimbabwe's harmonized polls on March 29 has been accused of prejudging the poll process by saying that it would be a free and fair poll. Speaking at a press conference yesterday head of SADC's electoral observer mission Jose Marcos Barrica said the climate was right to hold elections and that his mission had been assured that "what should be done is being done." He, however, noted concerns over the delay in the publication of the voters' roll and unequal media coverage.

"The voters roll should have been published last week, but we are told this was only published yesterday. There were some concerns in inequality of media time given to different candidates by the state mass media. We say that the situation should be changed. They should think about it to have an equal share," he also noted. Zimbabweans go to the polls on March 29 to elect a president, lawmakers and local councillors. Veteran President Robert Mugabe, 84, is facing a challenge from his former finance minister Simba Makoni and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change. The government has invited SADC and 46 other teams of monitors from regional groupings such as the African Union as well as from countries including China, Russia and Iran with whom Mugabe enjoys cordial relations. Earlier this month, Zimbabwe's Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi announced that European Union member states and the United States would not be allowed to come to monitor the polls. Commenting on recent threats by one of the country's service chiefs that he would only recognise Mugabe, Barrica said the comments were made by an individual and did not represent the views of the defence forces. "It could have worried us if it were from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission or the government or from the political leader or the president of the republic," he said. The SADC observer mission has criticized the EU for prejudging Zimbabwe's electoral process after it raised concerns that it had been barred from monitoring the poll. The EU had complained that Mugabe's move to bar it from observing the poll was a clear indication that he wanted to temper with the result.

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