LONDON, March 19: The Commonwealth agreed on Tuesday to suspend Zimbabwe for one year after its violence-scarred election that returned President Robert Mugabe to power.
“The committee decided to suspend Zimbabwe from the councils of the Commonwealth for one year with immediate effect,” Australian Prime Minister John Howard told reporters.
“This issue will be revisited in 12 months’ time, having regard to progress in Zimbabwe based on the Commonwealth Harare principles (setting out democratic, rights and governance issues) and reports from the Commonwealth secretary general,” he added.
Howard said that resolving disagreement over controversial land reforms, which aim to resettle blacks on white-owned farms, would be pivotal in solving the crisis in Zimbabwe.
“The Committee stated that land is at the core of the crisis in Zimbabwe and cannot be separated from other issues of concern, and the Commonwealth will be ready to assist Zimbabwe to address the land issue and to help in its economic recovery in cooperation with other international agencies,” Howard said.
The decision, made by a troika of three Commonwealth heads of state — Howard, plus presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria — followed a damning report by Commonwealth observers.
The report concluded that the March 9-11 poll had been marred by violence, intimidation and suspect electoral practices designed to benefit Mugabe.
The panel had been expected to defer or reject calls for Zimbabwe’s suspension after Mbeki and Obasanjo held talks Monday with Mugabe and defeated opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, and apparently proposed to mediate in talks between the two sides.
Howard said that the committee had expressed “its determination to promote reconciliation in Zimbabwe between the main political parties.”
HE ADDED: “To this end, the committee strongly supported the initiatives of the president of Nigeria and the president of South Africa in encouraging the climate of reconciliation between the main political parties of Zimbabwe.”
He said the initiatives were “considered essential to addressing the issues of food shortages, economic recovery, the restoration of political stability, the rule of law and the conduct of future elections.”
The committee also called upon the international community to respond to the “desperate situation” in Zimbabwe, especially related to food shortages.
Britain, the former colonial power which has led calls for Zimbabwe’s suspension from the organisation, welcomed the decision.
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair said: “He clearly welcomes the decision by the Commonwealth troika and believes that it is absolutely the right thing to do.”
US MULLING RESPONSE: The United States said on Tuesday that it was still mulling a response to Zimbabwe’s “fraudulent” presidential election and chided African nations for turning “a blind eye” to irregularities in the vote.
“The United States is continuing its conversations with allied nations about what the proper response should be to the fraudulent election in Zimbabwe,” said Ari Fleischer, spokesman for US President George W. Bush.
Without naming names, the spokesman also said that Bush was “disappointed” that some African nations have not spoken out against alleged irregularities aorund the vote, which returned President Robert Mugabe to power.
“The president is disappointed that some African nations that profess their support and practice for democratic values nonetheless have been willing to turn a blind eye to what happened in Zimbabwe and the abuse of those values, which the president thinks are important everywhere,” said Fleischer.
Fleischer’s comments came after the Commonwealth agreed to suspend Zimbabwe.
Talks with allies “will continue because the president wants to make certain that no decision be rushed, that whatever decisions are taken will be constructive in improving conditions for people on the ground,” said Fleischer.—AFP
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