Zimbabwe has announced that it will not invite Western observers to the constitutional referendum and elections due this year,BBC reports

The country’s Foreign affairs minister ,Simbarashe Mumbengegwi argues that the western observers lack objectivity .He to this to  the state-owned Herald newspaper on Wednesday.

Mr Mumbengegwi said Western observers would not be welcome because of sanctions the European Union (EU) and US had imposed on Mr Mugabe and other top officials from his Zanu-PF party over alleged human rights abuses.

“To be an observer, you have to be objective and once you impose sanctions on one party, your objectivity goes up in smoke,” Mr Mumbengegwi, a Zanu-PF member, is quoted as saying.

Zimbabwe’s President ,Robert Mugabe

“I do not see why they need to be invited when they have never invited us to monitor theirs.”

Zimbabwe  will be holding  a referendum on  March 16th on a constitution that will limit presidential powers.

Under the new constitution, the president who wins this year’s election, expected to be held in July, will be able to serve a maximum of two terms.

By UP