Accreditation of some 300 foreign journalists who applied to cover the country's 29 March general elections will be closely supervised, as the government was aware of "the machinations to turn journalists into observers", information secretary George Charamba told the state-run Sunday Mail.

In particular, he said, the government feared "uninvited observers and security personnel from the western countries" might be applying to cover the vote as reporters, the weekly quoted Charamba as saying.

Preference would be given to reporters from Africa and the "national identity of the news organisations will be a major determinant" he added.

Besides Africa, journalists who have applied to cover the event hail from Europe and North America and Asia.

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[19 Mar 2008 10:19]

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