adminIn a statement last night, Prince Guduza said the mission would be in Zimbabwe until August 4.
The mission starts its work with meetings aimed at familiarising members with the country’s laws, the context in which the elections were being held and assisting members to appreciate their terms of reference.
“The Mission will deploy its teams to all the country’s 10 provinces from July 14, where they will interact with stakeholders and the electorate. We will observe the polling and the counting of votes.
“The Mission will re-convene in Harare on August 1 to compile and issue its interim statement detailing the findings, recommendations and conclusions on the credibility of the electoral process,” the mission said in a statement.
The mission said its observation would be based on Sadc PF’s Norms and Standards for Elections in the Sadc Region and Sadc Principles and Guidelines on Elections, and other regional and international election instruments.
The mission is expected to observe special voting aimed at enabling those who would de deployed to various areas on July 31 to cast their votes early.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has set July 14 and 15 as the dates for the special voting.
Government has since declared that western countries that imposed sanctions will not be allowed to observe the polls.
Online Reporter