Government News Index
Howard toughens stand on Mugabe
By LINCOLN WRIGHT
The fate of Robert Mugabe and his regime in Zimbabwe represented a moment of truth for the Commonwealth, Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday on the eve of a crucial trip to London.
Mr Howard will meet the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and President Olusegun Obasanjo, of Nigeria, today in London to determine whether Zimbabwe remains in the Commonwealth and economic sanctions apply.
A Commonwealth Observers Group has cast doubt over the legitimacy of the recent presidential election in Zimbabwe, citing violence and intimidation of the Opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change.
Mr Howard, the Chairman in Office of the Commonwealth, and the two African leaders have been given authority to deal with the matter, despite resistance from other African states to the prospect of sanctioning or suspending Zimbabwe.
Mr Howard has been reluctant to commit himself to a particular position on the option of suspending Zimbabwe. But there are signs he might recommend tough action once he consults with the two African leaders.
''This is quite a moment of truth for the Commonwealth. We have to bring a fair-dinkum judgment on this issue - it's not something that can be swept under the carpet. It's not something that can be fudged,'' Mr Howard said.
''We have to [face] fairly and squarely the responsibility we've been given, and if we have the view that certain things have occurred and appropriate procedures were not followed, then we have to honestly address that and accept that.''
The meeting in London was not going to be easy, he said, but he had no intention of abandoning democratic principles.
Mr Howard leaves behind another week of parliamentary sittings and a series of political scandals, including the allegations made by Senator Bill Heffernan against High Court judge Michael Kirby.
On Friday night, Mr Howard spoke to four Australian observers who had taken a close look at the fairness of the Zimbabwe election.
One of them, Labor's foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd, said smart sanctions should be enacted against Zimbabwe as soon as possible.
Presidents Mbeki and Obasanjo were expected to meet President Mugabe in a last-minute effort to persuade him to offer some type of concession to forestall tough Commonwealth action.
Canberra Times