March 31, 2008
No. 72
The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement concerning Zimbabwe��s elections:
"On March 29, Zimbabweans voted to choose their representatives for all levels of government. Canada is concerned by the delay in the announcement of the official r esults of these elections.
"Canada calls upon the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to release accurate results without further delay and respect the will of Zimbabwean voters. A lack of timeliness and transparency could undermine the credibility of any results.
"We are also concerned by deficiencies in Zimbabwe's pre-electoral process and environment, as docume nted by long-term national observers. These include problems with the voters list, uneven access to media by political parties, and threatening statements by senior members of state security organizations.
"Canada urges all Zimbabweans to exercise calm and restraint and the Government of Zimbabwe to respect human rights. We stand with the people of Zimbabwe as they move toward a more free and democratic future."
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