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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
ZIMBABWE: Mixed reactions over Commonwealth withdrawal
JOHANNESBURG, 8 December 2003 (IRIN) - Zimbabwe's human rights and pro-democracy groups said on Monday they were concerned that President Robert Mugabe's decision to pull Zimbabwe out of the Commonwealth had scuppered hopes of dialogue between the government and the main opposition party, prolonging the country's political crisis.
"It's disappointing and it's distressing. It means that Zimbabwe is now out of an organisation that had the potential to resolve the current political crisis," Tawanda Hondora of the umbrella NGO, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, told IRIN. "From Mugabe's perspective it's a great Houdini act, stifling international criticism."
Mugabe said on Sunday he would not accept a decision by Commonwealth leaders meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, to reaffirm Zimbabwe's suspension and the country would leave the 54-member group with immediate effect. He described the Commonwealth's position, promoted by Britain and Australia, as "pure racism".
Zimbabwe was originally suspended from the councils of the Commonwealth after presidential elections in March 2002, which a Commonwealth observer mission said were neither free or fair. A six-member panel, formed in Abuja to deliberate on Zimbabwe's reinstatement, ruled that not enough progress had been made on issues of governance and the suspension should be maintained.
As a result of Zimbabwe's withdrawal from the Commonwealth, "we are moving to a very, very serious stage of isolationism. We are at a dangerous stage where [the government] doesn't think it's now accountable to the international community or that it can be judged by those norms and standards," said Phil Matsheza, director of the Harare-based Human Rights Trust of Southern Africa,
Matsheza commented that there was little prospect at the moment of any meaningful dialogue between the ruling ZANU-PF and the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
"Talks are going to be a casualty [of Zimbabwe's withdrawal]; human rights and the rule of law are going to be a casualty. Definitely, there's going to be less conciliation and more nationalism, with the government portraying itself as a victim of racism," he told IRIN.
Mugabe stated that a proposed Commonwealth mission to Zimbabwe to promote national reconciliation would not be welcome.
Political analyst and pro-ZANU newspaper publisher Ibbo Mandaza said the Commonwealth had left Zimbabwe no other option but to quit, and called on other African countries to follow suit. Several Southern African leaders said in Abuja they were unhappy with Harare's continued suspension.
"There is a question mark over democracy in almost all countries of the Commonwealth, including the host [of the summit] Nigeria. It's hypocrisy. The Harare Declaration [the Commonwealth's principles on good governance] is a subterfuge to be used by the white Commonwealth when it's convenient," Mandaza told IRIN.
"The bottom line is: the real issue is not about democracy but regime change, and the issue of land [redistribution instituted by the government in 2000]," he charged.
Faced with political stalemate, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai said on Friday that his party would assess "our options, with a view to unveil a detailed programme of rolling mass action in 2004. The suffering majority is ready for such action".
Hondora thought such an attempt would likely be "brutally suppressed" by the government.
Mandaza said he believed that after a similar attempt at public protest by the MDC in June was declared illegal and broken up by the security forces, the party did not have the capacity to mount an effective disobedience campaign.
Themes: (IRIN) Governance
[ENDS]
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