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ZIMBABWE has formally notified
the Commonwealth of the country�s withdrawal from the club.
Foreign Affairs Minister Cde Stan Mudenge yesterday wrote to Commonwealth secretary-general Mr Don McKinnon that the club was threatening the country�s independence and sovereignty. Cde Mudenge attached a copy of the resolution passed by Parliament on Wednesday endorsing the pullout and the ministerial statement he made to the House on the issue. He blamed Mr McKinnon for failing to advise and guide the troika leaders in executing their responsibility in accordance with agreed rules and procedures. "Following the majority decision by the Commonwealth chairpersons, namely Presidents T Mbeki and O Obasanjo to end the suspension period, we were astounded by your own conduct Mr Secretary-General," said Cde Mudenge. "First you took the view that there was no consensus in the troika to lift the suspension when in fact what was called for was a consensus to continue with the suspension." Cde Mudenge said Mr McKinnon, in cahoots with Mr Howard, who was the chairman of the troika "surreptitiously and unilaterally extended Zimbabwe�s suspension until the Abuja meeting purporting to have undertaken consultations with all Commonwealth members". "You consulted selected Commonwealth leaders and even from those you failed to get a consensus as subsequent statements from Sadc members and Nigeria showed and yet you went ahead to extend Zimbabwe�s suspension on the basis of what you said was a majority view," he said. Cde Mudenge said taking decisions by consensus had been the bedrock of the operations of the Commonwealth, yet this was now being used to protect the agendas of the rich and powerful. He said this had dealt a fatal blow to the credibility of the group. The suspension of Zimbabwe, Cde Mudenge said, was based on a flawed report by the Commonwealth election observer team to the Presidential election last year. He said the observer team was loaded with people of well-known anti-Zimbabwe Government disposition, some of whom had openly declared their biased views before joining the team. The team disregarded the club�s procedures when observing elections. Cde Mudenge said contrary to the universally acknowledged principle of natural justice, Zimbabwe was denied the right to be heard and answer to allegations by the team before punitive measures were taken. "The principles of equality, fair play and respect for the national sovereignty of member states for which the club stands have sadly been compromised," he said. "In the light of the above threats to its cherished and hard won independence and sovereignty, the Republic of Zimbabwe has chosen to terminate its membership of the Commonwealth effective from 7th December 2003 rather than continue to subject itself to such racist humiliation, arbitrariness and arrogance." The
Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" |
