Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe about the extent to which the Zimbabwe Election Commission acted to support election law in the recent parliamentary by-election in the Norton constituency.

The UK regularly calls on the government of Zimbabwe to implement in law and practice the provisions of the 2013 constitution, including those relating to electoral processes. During the recent by-election, British officials visited Norton twice as part of a 'Diplomatic Watch' observation mission with Australian, US and EU colleagues. Local civil society groups have made a number of reports highlighting weaknesses in the electoral environment leading up to voting day. The group will now write to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, outlining its observations.