With under 24 hours left before the nation votes in a general election, an observer team from The Carter Center, a United States based non-governmental organization, has accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of denying accreditation to the majority of its members.
In a statement, The Carter Center said the bulk of its observers had not been granted permission to observe tomorrow’s electoral processes despite an initial invitation from the government.
“Despite the Zimbabwean government’s invitation to launch an election observation mission for the August 23 elections, 30 of The Carter Center’s 48 short-term observers still have not received accreditation from Zimbabwean authorities,” said its spokesperson, Maria Cartaya in a statement.
“This delay in accreditation is unprecedented in its 30-plus years of observing elections. It represents a severe and unwarranted obstruction to the Center’s mission, inconsistent with commonly recognized and respected norms and practices.”
While requesting for an ‘eleventh-hour’ accreditation, the organization said continued delay would “hinder its ability” to successfully conduct its duties.
“The Center requests that accreditation for these observers be given today, August 22, so it can fulfill its mission to provide an impartial assessment of the election. Any further delay in accreditation will prevent the Center from deploying these observers and will hinder its ability to observe polling, counting, and tabulation in many locations.”
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According to ZEC, election observation entails a process of “information gathering or fact-finding aimed at reading an informed judgement about the credibility, legitimacy and acceptability of the electoral process and its outcome.”