EU awaits clarification from government

The European Union wants "clarification" from the Zimbabwe government over delays to the accreditation of the head of the EU's electoral observer mission, Pierre Schori, who arrived in the country on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge told state television on Monday that the government had ruled out a separate invitation to the EU to observe the 9-10 March presidential elections. "We are not accrediting separately an EU delegation. We will accredit an ACP-EU delegation," reiterating the government's insistence that the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries take the lead in a joint observer mission, the official Herald newspaper reported.

In response to Mudenge's remarks, European Commission spokeswoman Emma Udwin told IRIN on Tuesday: "Obviously we can't orientate our policy around things said to journalists and not to us."

Under the headline 'EU observers: Schori denied accreditation', the Herald quoted unnamed foreign ministry sources as saying that as Schori had not been invited by the government, "he can come and stay but only as a tourist".

Schori reportedly said on Monday that "Zimbabwe is a wonderful country for tourism, but the EU is not here for tourism but to observe the elections. I look forward to talking to the Zimbabwe government to clarify this issue as soon as possible."

Udwin said that Schori had already begun an initial training programme in Harare for observers who will be deployed in the field. "We understand the need to get observers in as quickly as possible and we're trying to do precisely that. But as things stand, we are still discussing with the government of Zimbabwe the accreditation issue."

EU envoys were reportedly meeting with Schori in Harare on Tuesday. In tandem, Udwin said a series of meetings at ambassadorial level would take place at the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, in Brussels this week. On Monday 18 February, EU foreign ministers would also hold talks, and could decide to introduce travel and financial sanctions on members of President Robert Mugabe's government.

"At any one of these meetings, Zimbabwe can and almost certainly will be discussed," Udwin said.