Zimbabwe Bars Critics As Poll Monitors

The government of President Robert Mugabe has hand-picked observers for Zimbabwe's upcoming parliamentary vote in what critics call a shallow and transparent attempt to restore legitimacy to the country's discredited democracy.

It has systematically barred observer missions from countries and groups that said elections in 2000 and 2002 were flawed and probably stolen by Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party amid massive vote-rigging and state-sponsored violence and intimidation.

Observers for the March 31 elections have been invited from generally pro-Mugabe African states such as South Africa, friendly countries such as China, Iran (news - web sites) and Venezuela, and from the Southern African Development Community, a generally supportive regional body.

"They left out everybody who gave them a negative report," said University of Zimbabwe political scientist John Makumbe.

"Essentially it says the regime has something to hide, that it can't stand close scrutiny," Makumbe said in a telephone interview from the United States, where he is a guest lecturer at Michigan State University.

I'm sure there is no truth to the rumors that Katherine Harris and Kenneth Blackwell have served as consultants to the Mugabe government. No truth at all.