Zimbabwe 'bars' EU and US from observing polls

 

Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi told the state-owned Herald bi-weekly that EU and US assemblage lacked objectivity.

Zimbabwe is due to authority a acclamation next Saturday on a architecture that will absolute presidential powers.

It will be followed by elections, catastrophe the affiliation amid Mr Mugabe and his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai.

'Up in smoke'

The two, age-old 89 and 60 respectively, will run adjoin anniversary added in the election, afterwards extensive a accord over a architecture that they accept apprenticed voters to endorse in the referendum.

Mr Mumbengegwi said Western assemblage would not be acceptable because of sanctions the European Union (EU) and US had imposed on Mr Mugabe and added top admiral from his Zanu-PF affair over declared animal rights abuses.

"To be an observer, you accept to be cold and already you appoint sanctions on one party, your objectivity goes up in smoke," Mr Mumbengegwi, a Zanu-PF member, is quoted as saying.

"I do not see why they charge to be arrive if they accept never arrive us to adviser theirs."

Mr Mumbengegwi said Zimbabwe had already arrive assemblage from the African Union (AU) and two bounded bodies, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), to adviser the referendum.

The EU and US imposed sanctions on Mr Mugabe and his close amphitheater afterwards accusing them of unleashing abandon and accouterment antecedent acclamation to anticipate Mr Tsvangirai and his Movement from Democratic Change (MDC) from demography power.

The battle concluded afterwards Zanu-PF and the MDC agreed to anatomy a affiliation government beneath burden from bounded leaders.

Under the new constitution, the admiral who wins this year's election, accepted to be captivated in July, will be able to serve a best of two terms.

Mr Mugabe has been in ability back ability in 1980.

Last month, Deputy Justice Minister Obert Gutu said there had been an arson advance on the home of MDC activist Shepherd Maisiri in the eastern agriculture commune of Headlands, causing the afterlife of his 12-year-old son, Christpower.

Mr Gutu, an MDC member, abhorrent supporters of Zanu-PF for the advance and said it did not augur able-bodied for a peaceful acclamation and election.

A Zanu-PF agent said the advance was an attack to discredit his party.

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