Zimbabwe’s ministry of foreign affairs confirmed on Monday that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum will not be invited to observe the country’s election in three weeks’ time.
The forum — comprising representatives of all SADC states, including Zimbabwe — has traditionally observed elections in SADC countries. It observed Zimbabwe’s last major election in 2002 but unlike other African observer missions, produced a scathing report condemning violence and other unfair practices during the poll, which saw President Robert Mugabe winning a fifth term to rule the country.
Mugabe and his government have apparently not forgiven the forum for breaking ranks with other continental missions three years ago. The forum was last week omitted from a list of countries and organisations invited to observe the March 31 poll.
Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Pavelyn Musaka said on Monday that the parliamentary forum will not be allowed into Zimbabwe to witness the election because it is not on the list of invitees.
Musaka denied that Harare is being vindictive against the forum but could not give reasons why the body is being left out when the SADC is invited.
“Not at all,” Musaka pleaded to charges that the forum is being barred as punishment for condemning Mugabe’s re-election in 2002.
She added: “Only those on the list will observe the election; if they [the forum] are not there, it means they are not invited, so they are not going to observe the elections.”
Zimbabwe has invited 23 countries to observe its election: the SADC and all its member countries, five Asian states, another three nations from the Americas and only Russia from Europe.
The ruling parties of Angola, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, all of them allies of Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party, have also been invited to observe the election.
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party has criticised Mugabe for treating the election like a wedding party where the bride and groom invite only their friends.
MDC shadow foreign affairs minister Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga said: “He [Mugabe] is treating the election like a wedding party, where the bride and groom invites friends to come and be merry. The only people that are coming to observe the elections are his friends.” — ZimOnline