The Government of Japan has decided to dispatch 6 officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed by Ambassador Hiromu Nitta, Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, as election obserbers for the Parliamentary Election in the Republic of Zimbabwe scheduled on June 24-25. It has been reported that, in Zimbabwe, a number of farms owned by white farmers have been occupied by war veterans since February this year and political violence and intimidation by supporters of ruling party and opposition parties have been taking place during the period preceding to the election.
Japan is concerned about such situations.
Japan has thus decided to participate in election observation activities for the Parliamentary Election in Zimbabwe, hoping the election will be held in a free and fair manner. Parliamentary election in Zimbabwe has been held every 5 years since the independence of Zimbabwe in 1980. Japanese Election Observers comprises Ambassador Hiromu Nitta, Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, one from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo, two from the Japanese Embassy in Zimbabwe, one from the Japanese Embassy in Zambia and one from the Japanese Embassy in South Africa. EU, the British Commonwealth, the United States and others also intend to dispatch election observers.