by Richard Nyamanhindi – SANF 08 No 35
The first group of election observers from southern Africa has arrived in the country to observe the presidential run-off and deployment to the various provinces has begun.
At least 120 election observers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Election Observer Mission (SEOM) had flown into Harare by Thursday night and have been accredited by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
The Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security at the SADC Secretariat, Rtd Lt-Col Tanki Mothae, said their observers were arriving in teams and so far 120 had arrived and been deployed in the 10 provinces of the country.
“We have more than 120 observers as we speak. Some came yesterday and others are yet to arrive. We had targeted 300 observers but we will have more than 400 on the polling day. The number is increasing everyday,” said Mothae.
Mothae urged the observers to be objective and observe the laws of Zimbabwe when they are carrying out their duties.
“Everything is going on course and we have started deployment today (Thursday). The main purpose of the SADC mission is to help the people of Zimbabwe through this electoral process so that it runs peacefully and smoothly.
“We are not here to take sides. We are not here to create confusion but to help the people of Zimbabwe, therefore the observers should observe the laws of Zimbabwe when discharging their duties and avoid making individual statements,” he said.
Although the head of observer team from Angola, which chairs the SADC’s Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, has not been announced, Mothae said that it is highly likely that the nomination from the Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos is going to be the same Minister who came in the 29 March harmonised election.
“It is highly likely that the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, Dr. João de Miranda is going to be coming back. However, if this does not happen then someone with a Ministerial position will be leading the observer mission,” said Mothae.
Mothae also highlighted that as the SEOM, they will be working under the auspices of SADC, in line with the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.
An Election Observer Advance Team that consists of technical staff from SADC Member States was deployed in the country at the beginning of June to prepare the ground for the SEOM.
The advance team was led by Natangwe Elia Angula who is SADC Senior Strategic Analyst for the Directorate of Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
The technical team studied the logistical aspects that are necessary in the election such as the number of polling stations, communication and transport.
“It was after that preliminary assessment that we were able to determine the number of observers needed and informed the member countries to nominate their observers,” Mothae said.
In early May a SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation was also in Zimbabwe to access the political situation and the preparations for the presidential election run-off.
The committee, which was accompanied by SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomão, urged the parties contesting the run-off to participate in the election in full observation of the country’s laws and the SADC Principles and Guidelines governing the conduct of democratic elections.
The presidential run-off is pitting incumbent President Robert Mugabe of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) and Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T).
A preliminary statement issued by SEOM before the announcement of results of the first round of elections concluded that Zimbabwe’s harmonised polls on 29 March were “a peaceful and credible expression of the will of the people of Zimbabwe”.
A SADC summit held in Zambia on 13 April commended the people of Zimbabwe for the “peaceful and orderly manner in which they conducted themselves before, during and after the elections.”
The summit also commended the government of Zimbabwe for ensuring that elections were conducted in a peaceful environment and urged ZEC to verify and release results expeditiously in “accordance with the due process of law”.
The presidential election results were announced by ZEC on 2 May following what the commission said was a necessary meticulous verification process.
