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US calls for more Zim observers
17/06/2008 13:24 - (SA)
Maputo - The head of the United States delegation in Mozambique, Todd Chapman, on Tuesday called upon the Southern African Development Community to increase the number of its election observers to ensure a free and fair election in Zimbabwe in the forthcoming presidential runoff.
"We need to see SADC elections body provide a large number of election observers for the June 27 elections so that the elections could be free and fair," he said in an interview in Maputo on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe would be holding a presidential run-off on June 27, after the March 29 election this year failed to produce an outright winner. The ruling Zanu-PF and the main opposition MDC were fielding candidates for the elections.
Chapman said that as the election date for the presidential run-off drew nearer there was a possibility that more Zimbabweans would flee, seeking safe havens.
Thousands of Zimbabweans had fled into Mozambique since the March 29 election, running away from political violence and economic meltdown.
Chapman said: "We believe that the xenophobic attacks perpetrated against foreigners living in South Africa was as a result of the increased numbers of Zimbabwean refugees living in that country."
He said the attacks also had an impact on countries of the SADC region such as Mozambique and Malawi, whose residents were attacked and had fled back home.
Mozambique had since seen the return of 39 000 of its nationals who were living and working in South Africa.
- SAPA
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