Posted on 12/04/2003 6:28:45 PM PST by blam
Blair mauls Mugabe as Commonwealth faces black-white split
By Anton La Guardia in Abuja
(Filed: 05/12/2003)
Tony Blair last night vowed to resist attempts to end Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth and accused African leaders seeking to rehabilitate President Robert Mugabe of "defending the indefensible".
President Mugabe,/i>
As he set off for the Commonwealth summit, which opens today in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, Mr Blair all but put Mr Mugabe in the same category as Saddam Hussein.
"I would like to see all regimes that oppress their people change," he said. "But you have to accept the limitations of what you can do and what you cannot do."
His tough comments set the stage for an acrimonious and racially charged gathering of Commonwealth leaders, with some of Zimbabwe's neighbours mounting a campaign to end Mr Mugabe's isolation.
Zambia's president, Lezy Mwanawasa, declared: "Zambia does not support the continued suspension of Zimbabwe and we will raise the matter so that the suspension is lifted."
President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa fought to have Mr Mugabe invited to Abuja. But the summit host, President Olusegun Obasanjo, was told that Mr Blair and several other leaders would boycott the event if Mr Mugabe was there.
"The key thing is to maintain the suspension of Zimbabwe, because that sends a signal of strong disapproval for what is happening in Zimbabwe at the present time," Mr Blair said on his plane from London.
He rejected any accusation that Britain's policy was motivated by "colonial" support for white Zimbabweans. He said: "The black population are the main people who are suffering . . . with an economy that is crippled and restrictions on civil liberties and basic human rights."
Asked about neighbours promising to fight to have Zimbabwe reinstated, Mr Blair responded: "What they are defending is indefensible.
"My assessment is that the majority of people know that. We've got to go back and repeat the basic facts - Britain wants to work with Zimbabwe. It wants a government of Zimbabwe that is truly representative of the people."
He said Pakistan, which was suspended after Gen Pervaiz Musharraf took power in a coup in 1999, was making progress towards restoring democracy, while Zimbabwe was not.
Despite the prospect of a black-white split of the Commonwealth, British officials say they are confident that the "centre of gravity" of the 54-country organisation will favour the British position.
While some Africans want the suspension lifted, Australia is expected to press for Zimbabwe's outright expulsion.
British officials said Zimbabwe failed to convince its neighbours to boycott the summit when regional ministers met at the weekend. Instead Zimbabwe had to make do with a promise that they would fight its case in Abuja.
Some African leaders, such as Namibia, are pressing for the replacement of the Commonwealth secretary-general, Don McKinnon, in favour of Sri Lanka's former foreign minister, Lakshmi Kadirgamar, allegedly because Mr McKinnon had been too tough on Zimbabwe.
Mr Blair said: "I hope very much that he [Mr McKinnon] will be confirmed. I think he will be."
He's about what I would expect out of Clinton after 6 terms as president if the 22nd amendment weren't in the Constitution.
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