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Prime Minister Helen Clark said yesterday the elections in Zimbabwe were a tragedy and a farce, with attention turning to whether African countries would call for Zimbabwe's opposition leader to be part of the new government.
Helen Clark also yesterday stated the Government's preference that the Black Caps cricketers not tour Zimbabwe while expressing pessimism about getting tours involving Zimbabwe banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was sworn in after being declared the overwhelming winner of an election in which he was the only candidate.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the election a week ago saying a systematic campaign of violence, which killed nearly 90 of his followers, had made a free and fair vote impossible.
But Mr Mugabe went ahead with the vote anyway, despite a wave of international censure.
Reuters yesterday reported that African heads of state were likely to press Mr Mugabe to enter talks with Mr Tsvangirai to end the political crisis.
The African Union is meeting in Egypt overnight New Zealand time.
Helen Clark said at her post-Cabinet press conference that the New Zealand Government regarded what had happened in Zimbabwe "as a tragedy, a farce with tragic consequences".
Mr Mugabe had proclaimed a landslide victory when he had intimidated his opponent out of running - despite Mr Tsvangirai leading in the first round - killing and torturing supporters of his opponent, and causing the dislocation from their homes of many others.
Helen Clark said all eyes would be on the African Union summit in Egypt overnight to see if those leaders would make it clear to Mr Mugabe that they regarded what had happened as "a blemish on Africa's reputation and standing" and look for the opposition to be able to take part in the government of Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, the Greens are calling on the Government to back Britain in getting Zimbabwe kicked out of the World Twenty20 tournament next year which would also mean cancelling the Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe next July.
The British Government has said it is opposed to Zimbabwe's cricket team touring England next summer and participating in the Twenty20 World Cup which is also being held in England.
Three years ago the Government denied Zimbabwean cricketers entry into New Zealand and also expressed its disapproval of the Black Caps touring Zimbabwe but did not ban the New Zealand cricketers from going.
At the time, the Green Party tried but failed in a bid to get cross-party support for legislation banning sporting contacts with Zimbabwe.
Such a move was needed so New Zealand Cricket could scrap the tour without incurring multi-million dollar penalties as part of its International Cricket Council touring agreement.
Helen Clark told reporters yesterday that it had been difficult to get support other than from Britain and Australia for banning cricket tours so she was a "little bit pessimistic" about getting tours cancelled.
" ... but certainly we'd be encouraging New Zealand Cricket to see if there was now potential to take the matter further," she said.
The ICC will this week discuss the issue of expelling Zimbabwe, a move Zimbabwe Cricket has urged it not to take.
