The European Union (EU) has suspended $5 million in funding to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) over concerns about the transparency of the country’s recent elections.
The EU’s decision comes after several international observer missions, including the EU’s own, raised concerns about ZEC’s management of the electoral process.
In a statement, the EU said that it was “committed to supporting credible and inclusive electoral processes in Zimbabwe.” However, the EU said that it needed to be assured that ZEC was operating as an independent and transparent institution.
The preliminary statements from multiple EOMs, including the EU EOM, have raised concerns about ZEC’s management of the electoral process particularly regarding its independence and transparency.
“The EU contributes together with other donors to a UNDP-managed project aiming at enhancing ZEC’s institutional and technical capabilities to fulfil its constitutional mandate. In response to these concerns and in adherence to responsible management of EU development cooperation funds, the EU has initiated a procedure to suspend its contribution to this project,” reads the statement
The EU said that it would resume funding to ZEC once all of the complaints raised by the observer missions had been investigated.
The EU’s decision is a blow to ZEC, which was already struggling to fund its operations. ZEC was scheduled to receive funding from the EU until December 2024.
It remains to be seen how ZEC will make up for the loss of EU funding. The Zimbabwean government has said that it will provide ZEC with the necessary funding, but it is unclear whether this will be enough.
The EU’s decision is a reminder that the international community is still concerned about the state of democracy in Zimbabwe. The EU has urged the Zimbabwean government to take steps to ensure that future elections are free and fair.
