US pro-democracy groups have urged Zimbabwean authorities to take steps to ensure a free and fair election in July and break from a history of flawed elections under long-time ruler Robert Mugabe.
"Changing Zimbabwe's electoral trajectory will require pro-active and concerted efforts to instil public confidence," the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute said in a statement late yesterday after a week of pre-election observation.
Zimbabwe holds a general election on July 30, the first without Mugabe who was forced out of office after a brief military takeover last year.
David Dreier, a former United States Congressman and member of the IRI-NDI monitors, told reporters in Harare that while the observers have "found several notable improvements in the political environment and electoral preparations as compared to prior elections, a number of significant opportunities to break with the past have been missed." "As a result, we still have concerns about the fairness of the process."
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