News / National
Britain, US not welcome to observe Zimbabwe elections
04 Mar 2013 at 13:09hrs | Views
The government says Britain, the United States of America and their western allies which imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe will not be invited to observe the forthcoming elections.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi told journalists after a closed-door meeting with the visiting Swedish development minister Gunilla Cartssoni in Harare that Zimbabwe will not allow any country which imposed illegal sanctions to participate in the harmonised elections set for this year.
"Any country which imposed illegal sanctions or which has in the past not invited Zimbabwe to observe its elections have doomed their chances of coming to the elections.
"Sanctions mean there is no good relations, so how can we allow such nations with bad relations to come to our country? In fact, by imposing the embargo they have blown their chance in smoke," said Mumbengegwi.
Ms Cartssoni said her country's wish is to see the illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe lifted, but their hands are tied by the European Union.
"The EU is a 27-member bloc, hence the issue of 'restrictive measures' is not easy to deal with as an individual country, but as Sweden we are happy with the progress made by Zimbabwe ahead of the referendum and elections," she said.
Cartssoni's visit comes as the European Union has recently suspended and lifted illegal sanctions on some individuals, a move that has been described by observers as a non-event.
After the meeting, Mumbengegwi told Sweden and the entire EU bloc that Zimbabwe will not tolerate cheap politics of suspending the illegal embargo and will stick to its position until the so-called 'restrictive measures' are removed unconditionally and in their totality.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi told journalists after a closed-door meeting with the visiting Swedish development minister Gunilla Cartssoni in Harare that Zimbabwe will not allow any country which imposed illegal sanctions to participate in the harmonised elections set for this year.
"Any country which imposed illegal sanctions or which has in the past not invited Zimbabwe to observe its elections have doomed their chances of coming to the elections.
"Sanctions mean there is no good relations, so how can we allow such nations with bad relations to come to our country? In fact, by imposing the embargo they have blown their chance in smoke," said Mumbengegwi.
"The EU is a 27-member bloc, hence the issue of 'restrictive measures' is not easy to deal with as an individual country, but as Sweden we are happy with the progress made by Zimbabwe ahead of the referendum and elections," she said.
Cartssoni's visit comes as the European Union has recently suspended and lifted illegal sanctions on some individuals, a move that has been described by observers as a non-event.
After the meeting, Mumbengegwi told Sweden and the entire EU bloc that Zimbabwe will not tolerate cheap politics of suspending the illegal embargo and will stick to its position until the so-called 'restrictive measures' are removed unconditionally and in their totality.
Source - zbc
