Zimbabwe Demands Lifting of Sanctions Before Allowing Western Observers

Zimbabwe’s ruling party wants Western sanctions against the country removed as a pre-condition for allowing Western observers to monitor a crucial presidential election run-off, state media reported on Monday.

ZANU PF spokesman and Justice Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, is quoted in The Herald daily that the Zimbabwe government would only invite United Nations and other Western observers once economic sanctions imposed in 2002 are lifted.

He accused Britain and other Western countries of being “players” in Zimbabwe’s political arena and said the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) must tell its Western backers to call off the sanctions in order to create a level playing field.

Chinamasa attacked Zambian President and current chair of the Southern African Development Community of not doing enough to ensure sanctions against Zimbabwe are lifted.

The ZANU PF demands were in response to MDC conditions at the weekend that international observers must be allowed to monitor the second round of elections to choose Zimbabwe’s president.

The MDC also demanded the deployment of regional peacekeepers ahead of the run-off between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC.

The two politicians failed to win an absolute majority during the first round held on March 29.

Source African Press Agency

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