The Head of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), Hailemariam Desalegne, will arrive in Zimbabwe on Tuesday at Robert Mugabe International Airport in Zimbabwe.

Desalegne is the former Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. He was appointed by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, to lead the AUEOM to the harmonised Zimbabwe elections of 2018.

The AU conducts its election observation in accordance with the AU Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance; the AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa; the AU Guidelines for Election Observation and Monitoring Missions; the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.

It will also be guided by Zimbabwe’s constitution and legal framework governing the conduct of elections.