Western diplomatic sources said today the Zimbabwean government has ordered the head of the European Union election observer mission, whom Harare has refused to accredit, to leave the country.
But a spokesman for Swedish diplomat Mr Pierre Schori, who is leading a team of 30 to monitor the March 9-10th presidential elections, declined to comment, saying Mr Schori would issue a statement later today.
"The news we have is that Mr Schori was told he must leave Zimbabwe by the end of the day, by (10 p.m. Irish Time), and we have no reason to doubt the source of our information," one Western diplomat said.
There was no immediate comment from Zimbabwe immigration officials or Home Affairs Minister Mr John Nkomo, who told state media earlier in the day that Mr Schori risked being thrown out of the country.
But a senior government official said: "Mr Schori is in breach of his visa conditions. He is guilty of trying to impose himself on our electoral process. He is guilty of political arrogance and of insulting behaviour and this cannot continue and if that is his intention, he is not welcome. He cannot stay."