NZ accuses election observers of Mugabe bias

The New Zealand government today accused some independent observers of the Zimbabwe elections of bias towards President Robert Mugabe’s government and of ignoring evidence that the ballot was rigged.

Elections observers generally have said the weekend elections were deeply marred by irregularities and ruling-party violence. But some observers from African countries have called the elections free and fair, reflecting a bias toward Mugabe, New Zealand’s foreign minister Phil Goff said.