HARARE, July (ANA) - The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) on Friday, deployed 44 short-term observers throughout Zimbabwe for the upcoming elections.
The team is the third contingent to be sent out since June 6, when the first group of long-term observers arrived in the country for the July 30 elections.
Head of the EU EOM, Elmar Brok, said the observers were deployed throughout the country.
“The short-term observers will cover all 10 provinces in both, urban and rural areas,” he said.
“Together with the other EU EOM observers, they will be the eyes and the ears of the mission on election day, during polling, counting and tabulation of results.”
Prior to deployment, he said, EU observers received a two-day in-depth briefing on the electoral background, voting procedures, the political environment and other topics.
The observers will also be joined by the delegation of the European Parliament and EU diplomats accredited in Zimbabwe.
In total, the EU EOM has dispatched a total of 140 observers who were drawn from all 28 member states of the bloc.
“Although the EU EOM observers will be visiting many polling stations from the opening to the closing of the polls, they will not interfere in the process,” Brok said.
“They are there to watch and take note of how the voting is conducted.”
He reiterated that the EU EOM preliminary statement would be issued two days after the elections, with the final report to be published later.
- African News Agency (ANA)
