HL Deb 23 February 2005 vol 669 c201WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are making representations to the government of Zimbabwe concerning:

  1. (a) the major increase in the cost of registering as a candidate in the forthcoming Zimbabwean general election;
  2. (b) the alleged addition of large numbers of names to the electoral rolls, including duplicate names; and
  3. (c) the reported official refusal to admit independent election observers from outside countries; and

whether they expect other Commonwealth Governments to make similar representations. [HL1358]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

We continue to be concerned about the government of Zimbabwe's failure to ensure conditions for a free and fair election. Obstacles to candidate registration, the government of Zimbabwe's unwillingness to admit election observers from a broad range of countries and the errors in the electoral roll add to our concerns. Together with our European Union and other partners, we continue to lobby the government of Zimbabwe and regional neighbours on the need for Zimbabwe to adhere to the electoral guidelines which all South African Development Community members have signed up to.