Examination of witnesses (Question 112
- 119)
MONDAY 22 MAY 2000
MR P HAIN
and MR J BEVAN
Chairman
112. I want to move on to Zimbabwe. It is clearly
a very key and important matter for this country. I know that
you have had personal experience of election monitoring. We know
that the elections in Zimbabwe have now been set down for 24-25
June, just over four weeks ahead. We know that the electoral register
is very flawed. We know that the electoral boundaries have not
yet been finalised. We know that there is a context of intimidation
of the opposition. Can you seriously say that in that context
we can look forward to free and fair elections?
(Mr Hain) The Zimbabwean Electoral Commission, an
independent body, has itself raised an important question mark
over whether those elections can be free and fair. The Zimbabwe
Electoral Supervisory Commission say that it is a basic right
of every citizen to hold and express his or her own political
belief and associate with any political organisation of his or
her own choice without fear or favour. They say that if what is
reported in the media is anything to go by, then the trend is
such that we may soon reach a situation which is not conducive
to the holding of free and fair elections.
113. Do you share that view?
(Mr Hain) That is an independent view from within
Zimbabwe.
114. I asked whether you share that view.
(Mr Hain) If you look at the violence which has taken
place, 23 members of the opposition killed and intimidation on
a massive scale, with violence continuing daily, and people being
burned out of their homes, then there is a huge question mark
over the extent to which free and fair elections can be held.
The election is still a month away. I hope that the presence of
monitors and observers will actually contribute to a situation
in which the Zimbabwean people—
115. Don McKinnon, Secretary General of the
Commonwealth, reached agreement for 40 monitors for the whole
country.
(Mr Hain) He reached an agreement for 40 observers.
That is different. International observers, a role which a number
of us have performed, is a very different role from monitors.
It is expected that there will be on average four internal monitors
funded by, amongst other sources, the European Union, the USA
and Zimbabwean members of civil society, around four on each polling
station.
116. Is it still the case that President Mugabe
is blocking the British observers?
(Mr Hain) It is sometimes very difficult to read President
Mugabe's mind. We have seen reports to that effect. What is important
is that Commonwealth observers have been accepted, European Union
observers have been accepted, observers from the region, SADC,
and South Africa.
117. I think what is important is that the President
be not allowed to pick and choose who will be observers.
(Mr Hain) I understand the point you are making, but
President Mugabe has such a fascinated paranoia with Britain that
I do not think we want to allow him to make an issue of what the
particular composition of a European or Commonwealth observer
force might be.
118. Is it not rather weak to say that we in
Britain will therefore not be part of an EU group, not be part
of a Commonwealth group?
(Mr Hain) No, we have not said that. We have not said
that. The composition of the Commonwealth and European group still
has to be determined. What is important is that they get there,
in the numbers which are required, that they are credible and
that the monitors are in a position and resourced in such a way
that they can feed back information on a daily basis.
119. In spite of the electoral register being
flawed, in spite of the electoral boundaries not being finalised,
in spite of it being four weeks away, you are prepared to go ahead
with this exercise of observing.
(Mr Hain) The European Union and the Commonwealth
are right to offer an observer force and President Mugabe has
accepted that. That is right. It is important however, particularly
in view of the view of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission, an
independent body, that those observers go in with their eyes wide
open and that the monitors are not intimidated. This is the most
critical election in Zimbabwe's history. If it is not free and
fair, what future is there for the country then? It would be very,
very serious.
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