Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had a report on the elections in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12878/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The presidential and parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe on 29 March passed off in a peaceful and orderly fashion. Despite serious concerns about the context in which the election was held, and despite the fact that neither the EU nor any of its Member States were invited to observe the election, the people of Zimbabwe showed great courage and determination in casting their votes on polling day.

Parliamentary results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission show that President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has lost control of the House of Assembly for the first time since taking power after independence in 1980. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won 99 seats, while Mugabe's ZANU-PF won 97 seats and a breakaway MDC faction won 10. One independent candidate won a seat.

No official announcements have been made on the outcome of the presidential election. Some unofficial reports indicate that Mr. Tsvangirai polled more strongly than Mr. Mugabe, taking approximately 50% of the vote. If no candidate takes more than 50% of the vote, the constitution indicates that the two leading candidates will compete in a run-off election within three weeks.

I remain extremely concerned at the delays by the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission in issuing the results of the presidential election. This delay can only give rise to serious apprehension and fuel suspicions that the democratic will of the Zimbabwean people may not be respected. I fully support the call made by the EU Presidency on 4 April for the results of the Presidential election to be issued without further delay.

If a second round of the Presidential election is required, Ireland and the EU will be anxious to see every effort made to improve electoral conditions so as to ensure a fully free, fair and transparent vote. Reports of raids on opposition offices on 3 April and arrests of international media covering the election give cause for concern and indicate the level of improvement required on the ground in Zimbabwe.

The Irish Ambassador to Zimbabwe travelled to Harare for the election period and our Embassy in Pretoria continues to monitor the situation closely. Policy change is urgently needed in Zimbabwe and Ireland stands ready to support that change process, if and when it begins.