Zimbabwe: 2008 Election observer missions and statements

Updated July 2008

Notes:

Bodies that are known to have sent observer missions to the 29 March elections are marked with an asterisk (*).
Bodies that are known to have sent observer missions to the 27 June elections are marked with a hash (#).
On 17 May the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that foreign observers invited to observe the 29th March elections were invited to observe the presidential run-off scheduled for 27 June 2008 and that no other invitations would be extended (Veritas 2008).

Countries and bodies excluded from observing the elections

Accreditation was denied to the following bodies:

Commonwealth
European Union
* EISA:
Carter Center & EISA Statement of support for national & international election observation in Zimbabwe
Post Election Statement
Interim Statement
Southern African Development Community - Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) was told to send members under the SADC mission
All countries of the European Union
United States of America
* Young Communist League of South Africa: Statement on Harmonised Elections [PDF document]
* World Council of Churches and All Africa Conference of Churches Ecumenical Observer Team Mission Report on Harmonised Elections

All Southern African Development Community members:

Other African countries:

Eurasian countries:

Latin American countries:

The following bodies have been invited to send observers:

* African and Caribbean Pacific (ACP)
*# African Union (AU) Preliminary Statement on Presidential Run-Off [PDF document]
Association of South East Asian Nations
* Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA): Preliminary Statement on Harmonised Elections [PDF document]
Community of Lusophone countries
* East African Community
*# Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Economic Community of Central African States
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development
Maghreb Union
Non-Aligned Movement
*# Pan African Parliament:
Interim Statement on Presidential Run-Off [PDF document]
Interim Statement on Harmonised Elections [PDF document]
*# Southern African Development Community (SADC):
Preliminary Statement on Presidential Run-off [PDF document]
Preliminary Statement on Harmonised Elections [PDF document]
Democratic Alliance: Minority Report on the 2008 Zimbabwe [harmonised] elections
*# SADC - Electoral Commissions Forum:
Statement on Presidential Run-Off
Statement on Harmonised Elections

African National Congress of South Africa
* December 12 Movement Eyewitness report from Zimbabwe on harmonised elections [opens new window]

JONGWE, F 2008 "Western monitors barred from Zim poll", Mail & Guardian, 7 March, [www] http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=334165&area=/breaking_news/ breaking_news__africa/ [opens new window] (accessed 10 Mar 2008).

RUSERE, P & MOYO, B 2008 "Zimbabwean Government Selective in Accrediting Election Observers", Voice of America, 7 March, [www] http://voanews.com/english/Africa/Zimbabwe/2008-03-07-voa72.cfm [opens new window] (accessed 10 Mar 2008).

MCGREAL, C 2008 "Zimbabwe bans western observers from ballot", The Guardian, Saturday March 8 2008, [www] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/08/zimbabwe [opens new window] (accessed 10 Mar 2008).

PIET, B 2008 " Zimbabwe elections: SADC MPs uninvited, Europe barred" IN Mmegi, [www] http://www.mmegi.bw/2008/March/Thursday13/8.php [opens new window] (accessed 14 Mar 2008).

SAPA 2008 "Zimbabwe invites 47 teams to observe election", Mail & Guardian, 7 March, [www] http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=334128&area=/breaking_news/ breaking_news__africa/ [opens new window] (accessed 10 Mar 2008).

VERITAS 2008 "Bill Watch 20/2008", 17 May, Legal Brief [www] http://www.legalbrief.co.za/article.php?story=20080519095937766 [opens new window] (accessed 19 May 2008).