The Hindu : Commonwealth divided over Zimbabwe

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 06, 2003

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International

Commonwealth divided over Zimbabwe

By Amit Baruah

ABUJA DEC. 5. The Zimbabwe shadow loomed large over the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that opened in this new Nigerian capital on Friday morning as leaders made general references to the importance of democracy and human rights at the inaugural ceremony.

Soon after the inaugural, the Nigerian President, Olesegun Obasanjo, in a restricted session with heads of delegation, took up the key issues of Zimbabwe and the election of a new Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. The former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, and the incumbent, Don McKinnon, are in the race.

The External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, told presspersons that Jamaica, South Africa, Australia, Canada and India had been appointed to a six-member group after discussions by Mr. Obasanjo to take up Zimbabwe and report back to the Commonwealth summit session on Saturday.

India, Mr. Sinha stressed, had been of the view that the Commonwealth should not be divided on ethnic and racial lines. Zimbabwe, he said, should abide by the Harare principles (1991) even as India wanted to develop consensus within the Commonwealth on the issue.

Asked if 24 hours was too short a time for this group of six to reach a consensus on such a divisive issue, Mr. Sinha said: "Let us see." Asked whether India supported Mr. Kadirgamar's candidature, he said India would wait for discussions on the Secretary-General's election scheduled for late Friday.

Several African nations, meanwhile, have said they will press for Zimbabwe's readmission into the Commonwealth. On Wednesday, the President of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa, said he would lead a campaign to ensure Zimbabwe's re-admission.

"Zambia does not support the continued suspension of Zimbabwe [and] we will raise the matter so that the suspension is lifted," he stated. The President of Malawi, Bakili Muluzi, has claimed that the exclusion of Zimbabwe would hurt only Zimbabweans and not Mr. Mugabe.

"We do not believe that the continued isolation of Zimbabwe is delivering the desired result," the President of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano, who heads the African Union, told presspersons.

But the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, showed little flexibility of approach. "The key thing is to maintain the suspension of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth because that sends the right signal of strong disapproval for what is happening in Zimbabwe at the present time," Mr. Blair said after arrival in Abuja. His position is backed by the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard.

Democracy

In her speech at the inaugural ceremony, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain said that the theme of the summit - development and democracy - was central to the Commonwealth. "Democracy gives people a choice in how they are governed, and those in the Government rule with the consent of their people."

"Underdevelopment is one of the biggest threats to democracy; the one cannot be sustained without the other... the Commonwealth is one of the great partnerships of the world where rich and poor, large and small, work together for the common good." "This partnership remains crucial not just for peace and prosperity within the Commonwealth, but in the wider world. It puts our association in a strong position to meet the pressing challenges of our time: eradicating poverty, creating a fair and open trade environment, bridging the digital divide, combating terrorism and building a more peaceful world for us all," the Queen said.

She said the agenda before the Commonwealth was a daunting one. "... But I know that you will address these difficult issues with a serious sense of purpose and in a family spirit which have become the hallmark of these meetings."

The Queen, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Doc McKinnon, and the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, referred to the need to resume trade talks at the inauguration in the presence of nations which took the lead to protect their interests at the Cancun meeting.

The Secretary-General argued that there could be no justification for terrorism but, added that the war against terrorism could not be won by military force alone.

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