A joint delegation from two United States based democracy and development organisations, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) are currently in the country to assess preparations for the July 30 watershed elections.
In a statement released yesterday, IRI/NDI noted that the eight member delegation includes regional and election experts from Africa, Europe and North America adding that their visit represents an important component of the envisaged joint Zimbabwe International Election Observer Mission (ZIEOM).
“The IRI and NDI pre-election assessment mission responds to the public welcome of international observers by President Mnangagwa, as well as requests from political leaders and civil society organizations.
“Our delegation is here to assess the status of electoral preparations and review the pre-election environment in Zimbabwe,” said Dr. Bam, a delegate and former Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa.
“Our objective is to observe the country’s readiness for credible elections and offer practical suggestions for enhancing public confidence in the process that leads to the July 30 polls,” he added.
According to their schedule, the delegation will meet with government officials, political party leaders, election authorities, and representatives of civil society and the international community.
The observation mission, which established a presence in Zimbabwe in April and now has a 12 person team in Harare, will deploy six long-term observers outside the capital on June 15 and will organize a team of 30 short-term observers for election day.
