Diplomatic sources told NewsDay that Britain was pushing for the adoption of a resolution within the EU to force Zimbabwe to accept UN observers “in order to avoid a repeat of the disputes that have characterised previous elections”.
“Britain is concerned about the effects of another contested poll, hence, it is doing everything to try and have the EU as a bloc to persuade Mugabe to accept a UN-supervised or at the very least monitored one in 2018,” a diplomatic source in Harare said.
“In fact, the EU is already supporting Zec (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) with financial and technical assistance in the build-up to the poll that is expected to be viciously fought, given there is a likelihood that the ruling Zanu PF could field a candidate other than Mugabe.”
Contacted for comment early this week, the British embassy in Harare could neither confirm nor deny the claims.
“It is very important that any future Zimbabwean elections are carried out in compliance with regional and international best practice, and in line with the Sadc principles and guidelines, which call for effective domestic and international observation. This has consistently been the UK’s position over a number of electoral cycles,” the embassy said in a statement to NewsDay.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Information minister, Christopher Mushohwe said: “I do not have background to these issues in order to make an informed position except for newspaper reports and what you are telling me now. But I will try to check the linkage between these issues of biometric voting, the EU’s technical assistance to Zec and the 2018 elections.”
Mugabe, 91, has already been declared the Zanu PF candidate for the 2018 elections, although there are growing fears that age and failing health could force him to retire earlier than expected.
The EU ambassador to Zimbabwe, Philippe van Damme, was coy when NewsDay contacted him for comment on the issue, saying it was “a bit pre-mature” to talk about the monitoring of an election that is still almost 30 months away.
“Election observation is decided at a later stage and we are looking at the second half of 2017 or early 2018 when the government will invite the international community to have a look at the situation in the country ahead of the elections,” he said yesterday.