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THE European Union will observe Zimbabwe’s elections for only the second time in nearly two decades. Our News Editor, LINCOLN TOWINDO (LT), interviewed European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) chief observer Mr Fabio Massimo Castaldo (FMC) on the mission’s objectives.
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LT: Can you outline the scope of the European Union’s mission to observe Zimbabwe’s elections?
FMC: The European Union was formally invited by the Government of Zimbabwe to observe the 2023 harmonised elections to be held on August 23.
An administrative arrangement was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the delegation of the European Union, which is a public document, specifying the work of the EU EOM, its freedom of movement and its guaranteed access to all areas of observation and election-related bodies.
The EU EOM was deployed on July 8 with the mandate to observe the electoral process before, during and after election day.
The EU EOM is independent of all Zimbabwean and European institutions and entities.
Its observers are impartial and do not interfere in the electoral process.
The EU EOM will present a preliminary statement about its findings about two days after election day.
A comprehensive final report with recommendations will follow about two months later.
The EU EOM observers are bound to a strict code of conduct and operate in accordance with the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation endorsed before the United Nations, and now, by more than 50 international bodies involved in election observation.
LT: Which specific areas of the election process will your mission focus on during your tour of duty?
FMC: The EU Election Observation Mission will observe and assess:
The legal framework and its implementation;
The work of the election administration;
Campaign activities and campaign finances;
The role of State institutions and civil society;
The conduct of the media;
The social media sphere;
Voting, counting and tabulation of results;
The environment in which the election is being conducted;
The electoral complaints and appeals process; and
The participation of women and the role of marginalised groups.
LT: Can you outline the composition of the observer team?
FMC: The European Union Election Observation Mission to the Republic of Zimbabwe is led by chief observer Fabio Massimo Castaldo, an elected member of the European Parliament.
The mission is expected to comprise more than 150 observers from all 27 EU member states, as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland.
An 11-person core team arrived in Harare on July 8.
The core team analyses political, electoral and legal issues related to the electoral process.
In addition, 46 long-term EU EOM observers arrived in Zimbabwe on July 22 and have been deployed to all 10 provinces.
They observe the electoral process in their areas and the information they provide is analysed by the core team experts.
Another team of 44 short-term observers will join the mission shortly before election day.
They will observe voting, counting and tabulation of results.
The mission is also joined by a delegation of seven members of the European Parliament, and diplomatic staff from embassies accredited in Harare.
LT: Can you summarise the list of election stakeholders your mission will be meeting during the election period and the scope of your discussions?
FCM: The EU EOM meets with all stakeholders of the electoral process at all levels: national, provincial and local, in both urban and rural areas.
This includes candidates and party representatives, the election administration, Government institutions, the media, the social media, civil society, voters, etc.
LT: In your view, what will constitute a genuinely free and fair election in Zimbabwe?
FCM: EU Election Observation Missions in general, including the EU EOM in Zimbabwe, consider the term “free and fair” too narrow to mirror their comprehensive analysis of electoral processes.
EU EOMs rather use “genuine”, “transparent” and “credible” to characterise elections.
This terminology underlines the broad criteria that must be taken into account when assessing whether an election is to be considered a meaningful reflection of the will of the electorate.
The EU EOM assesses all aspects of the electoral process and assesses the extent to which the elections comply with international and regional commitments for elections, signed by Zimbabwe, as well as with the laws of Zimbabwe.
LT: Will your mission also use observations contained in your last report for the 2018 elections to benchmark your observation of this year’s polls?
FCM: Each electoral process is different. Hence, we refrain from comparing the current electoral process with previous elections. While we are aware of previous observations, the baseline for our observation is the extent to which these 2023 elections comply with international and regional commitments for elections, signed by Zimbabwe, as well as with the laws of Zimbabwe.
LT: Some critics have highlighted that in 2021, you tried to pressure the European Parliament to interfere in Zimbabwe’s domestic affairs, urging the EU to “exercise pressure on the Zimbabwean Government”, ostensibly “to respect democratically elected Parliamentarians”. How will your mission ensure that your personal views on Zimbabwe do not influence your findings?
FCM: The EU EOM is independent of the European Union, its institutions and any institution or actor in the host country — political, administrative or other nature.
This is true for all of its members, including the chief observer.
I consider this question a misrepresentation of facts and taken out of context.
For almost five years, I have been vice president of the European Parliament for Human Rights and Democracy and have a long experience as observer and chief observer, in which I demonstrated with dedication and commitment my impartiality and professionalism.
Speculation against the chief observer, namely, being openly against Zimbabwe and its people or having advocated specific actions in that sense find no confirmation in the objective facts.
Although the chief observer is an elected member of the European Parliament, my role as the head of the EU EOM is distinctly different from being a politician.
The EU EOM’s mandate is strictly limited to a technical analysis of all aspects of the electoral process, before, on and after election day.
LT: The Zimbabwean Government has made it clear that foreign missions should come in to witness the elections as observers and not monitors. Has your mission undertaken to abide by this directive?
FCM: An administrative arrangement was signed last month between the Foreign Ministry and the delegation of the European Union specifying the work of the EU EOM, its freedom of movement and its guaranteed access to all areas of observation and election-related bodies.
The EU applies a consistent methodology for observing elections.
EU election observers are by definition “observers” and not “monitors”.
Their mandate is strictly limited to assessing and analysing.
Observers do not interfere in the electoral process and have no authority to change or correct any possible shortcomings. The EU EOM does not comment on the process while it is still ongoing nor does it validate the results.
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