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Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, leaves Abuja for Harare on Saturday to observe Zimbabwe’s general elections, scheduled to take place on Aug. 23.
Jonathan would be leading a joint observer mission of the Africa Union (AU) and Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) for the states
This is contained in statement issued by the AU Commission chairperson, Mr Moussa Mahamat.
The joint AU-COMESA team, according to Mahamat, is composed of 73 short-term observers and three core teams of electoral experts, who would be involved in the election observation activities from Aug. 16 to Aug. 29 in Zimbabwe.
According to him, the objective of AU and COMESA election observer missions was to provide accurate and impartial reporting or assessment of the quality of the harmonised elections.
This, according to Mahamat, includes observing the degree to which the conduct of the elections meets regional, continental, and international standards for democratic elections.
It will be the fourth time Jonathan will be leading an AU election observation mission since 2016, having led the continental body’s missions to Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia.
It said further: “The observer team is expected to offer recommendations for improving future elections based on the findings;
Demonstrate the AU’s solidarity and support towards Zimbabwe’s election and democratisation process to ensure that the conduct of democratic, credible, and peaceful elections contributes to the consolidation of democratic governance, peace, and stability in the country,” he said.
NAN
