Below is the statement by EU Election Observer Mission following allegations of harassment of their observers in Chiredzi recently.
In response to newspaper articles regarding EU long-term observers based in Chiredzi:
EU long-term observers have been present in all provinces of the country since Saturday 23 June. During this time they have met a broad range of stakeholders, including election administration, political parties, media, local government and police.
On Tuesday 26 June, the long-term team in Chiredzi met with the District Administrator and two members of the CIO requested a copy of their ID. The request was polite and was not harassment as portrayed by some media.
The European Union Election Observation Mission emphasises that any reports describing the encounter differently are inaccurate and statements attributed to the observers are incorrect.
Issued by
Eberhard Laue
Press Officer
EU EOM Zimbabwe
