US Pledges $7 Million for Zimbabwe Poll Monitoring

The United States has announced that it will spend seven million dollars to help ensure that Zimbabwe’s June 27 presidential runoff is free and fair. US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told journalists on Monday that the sum will be used to mobilize an effective international observer mission with adequate resources to monitor the elections. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says a free and fair poll is impossible owing to widespread political violence. In a new report, HRW claims to have documented 36 killings and over 2,000 injuries perpetrated by ruling party militants abetted by security forces. [P.E]