Zimbabwe: Late changes to the accreditation of international observers

FROM EISA Zimababwe Election Update 2000, 2, 24 June, 15.

The issue of accreditation of international observers has received considerable attention in the final two weeks before the Zimbabwe elections. Initially, President Mugabe clearly stated that no British citizens would be welcome as international observers. Mugabe stated, "We will welcome any observer team as long as they do not include a single Briton. The British should not care to send somewhere here. These young men (British government) are completely ignorant of us." (The Standard, 4-10 June 2000) The largest international observer mission, from the European Union (EU), confirmed that it had not included any British observers in its main observation team.

However, despite the President's assurances that all other international observers would be welcome the accreditation process continued to shift over the course of June.

As noted elsewhere in this issue of Zimbabwe Election Update, new regulations governing the accreditation process were issued in mid-June. Further regulations were to follow. On 19 June the Election Directorate ruled that individuals representing non-governmental organizations would not be accredited as observers in terms of statutory instrument 161 of 2000.

Members of NGOs would be free to move around the country but they would be able to enter polling stations. Similarly, diplomats or representatives of foreign governments would not be "re-accredited as observers" since they were already accredited and therefore free to move around the country (but not to enter polling stations). Subsequently, two American NGOs, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the International Republican Institute declared that they had been refused accreditation and were withdrawing from observing the elections in Zimbabwe. They joined other restricted internationals, from Britain, Kenya and Nigeria.

Other international delegations in Zimbabwe at this time - for example, the World Council of Churches and the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries also awaited accreditation at this time. More clarity was offered on 14 June by the newly appointed chairperson (announced on 16 June) of the Electoral Supervisory Commission, Mr Gula-Ndebele who assured international observers from "international organizations, including NGOs based on membership from more than one country, that they would be accredited. Subsequently these groups were accredited. Furthermore, diplomats were also to receive accreditation in the last day before the elections.

In the end over 400 international observers received accreditation.