Government News Index
Leaders flounder over Mugabe
By Peter Wilson, Europe correspondent
The Australian
18mar02
THE Commonwealth leadership troika on Zimbabwe meets in London tomorrow faced with the apparently impossible task of reaching a position on Robert Mugabe's rigged re-election that satisfies African and non-African group members.
John Howard flies out today for his meeting with South Africa's Thabo Mbeki and Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo who are in the meantime mounting a desperate effort to find a compromise on the divisive issue.
The Prime Minister's troika partners will meet Mr Mugabe in the hope of convincing him to allow democratic reforms.
Mr Mbeki and General Obasanjo today are flying to Harare to meet Mr Mugabe, knowing their own standing with Western aid donors and investors would suffer if they stood by their early recognition of the Zimbabwe elections as a legitimate exercise in democracy.
Mr Mugabe, 78, has shown no sign of giving ground, bringing in new press restrictions while rejecting a South African proposal that he share power with his opposition.
The former liberation leader was sworn in for another six-year term yesterday amid evidence that his re-election was helped by some returns in which more than 100 per cent of voters cast ballots for him.
Chairing tomorrow's meeting in London will be one of the most high-profile diplomatic tasks of John Howard's prime ministership, with European nations and other Western leaders looking to the meeting to rescue the Commonwealth's credibility and give an international lead on how to respond to Mr Mugabe's apparent stealing of the election.
The US and a summit of European leaders on the weekend moved towards stronger sanctions on the Mugabe regime but the key role will be played by Mr Howard and Africa's two most powerful leaders.
While General Obasanjo has at times criticised Mr Mugabe's record of suppressing human rights and political opponents, Mr Mbeki has been a reliable apologist for Mr Mugabe, and most observers expect the two African leaders to out-vote any attempt by Mr Howard to suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth.
The pivotal role will be played by Mr Mbeki, Mugabe's most powerful neighbour and the one man with the power to bring down his regime by withholding economic and political support.