Commonwealth leaves door open for Mugabe

11.45am - By KEVIN NORQUAY


ABUJA, Nigeria - Commonwealth doors will remain open for Zimbabwe even if it withdraws from the body, Secretary General Don McKinnon said today.

Zimbabwe vowed to quit after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Nigeria yesterday opted to prolong its suspension for human rights violations.

Mr McKinnon is waiting on a letter confirming the withdrawal, he told reporters.

"It is sad that it has happened this way, but we really want to remain engaged," he said.

"Our door is always going to be open, we are prepared to talk, we are prepared to engage."

He did not agree the Commonwealth was so split along racial lines over Zimbabwe that it would now fall apart, with more countries leaving.

"We don't see it as something that is about to start things spiralling out of control," he said.

"Where we are now is not the happiest place to be, but we are not split on it."

Prime Minister Helen Clark told reporters withdrawal was a "crisis" for Zimbabwe, which had turned its back on the last international institution trying to help it.

"The best course for Zimbabwe would be to reflect what was said yesterday, the statement by the Commonwealth leaders was forward looking," she said.

"It said we want to work with you to bring you back into conformity with the Commonwealth's principles and declaration -- come halfway.

"Last night they weren't prepared to do that, let's see what happens.

"It would be unfortunate if the door was slammed on that.

"I am sure African leaders will be working very hard to get Mr Mugabe to see there are opportunities for him to be helped back to some kind of normality."

Leaders who had not wanted CHOGM to be dominated by Zimbabwe were sorely disappointed. It was the central issue, dividing opinion from the opening session on Friday.

Miss Clark felt the summit avoided being a disaster.

"The disaster would have been if leaders had walked out of here with the suspension lifted, that would have shown the Commonwealth to be a joke," she said.

"The Commonwealth isn't a joke, it does have principles, it has stood by them for a long time."

President Robert Mugabe told the leaders of Jamaica, Nigeria and South Africa he was pulling out when they phoned him from Abuja to tell him the suspension remained.

"It is unacceptable. This is it. It [Zimbabwe] quits and quits it will be," a statement from his ruling Zanu-PF party said.

CHOGM was split over the issue, with leaders wanting Zimbabwe readmitted lined up against the likes of New Zealand, Britain and Australia.

"In the end it has had to be stared down," Miss Clark said.

"Had the suspension been uplifted that would not have been a credible outcome."

At one stage the six-nation group considering a report to the full body of CHOGM was 5-1 against explicit reference to suspension, but continued suspension was the basis for the whole statememt.

South African President Thabo Mbeki pushed hard for Zimbabwe to be readmitted, arguing there was more hope of it righting its wrongs if it was a member.

Mr Mbeki realised the will of the Commonwealth was against him, said Miss Clark, who was not aware of any non-African countries supporting readmission.

CHOGM yesterday appointed a seven-nation group headed by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to monitor Zimbabwe s efforts to reach benchmarks on human rights and democracy.

Mr Howard, Mr Mbeki and the leaders of Mozambique, Canada, Jamaica and India were others on the group. Rehabilitation was likely to take "months rather than years", Mr Obasanjo said.

The Commonwealth also set in place a process to encourage and help national reconciliation in Zimbabwe, so that it could end its suspension. President Obasanjo was to visit Zimbabwe at an "early opportunity" then the six-nation group when he believed enough progress toward democracy had been made.

If the committee was unanimous progress had been made, President Obasanjo would consult all Commonwealth leaders about a return of Zimbabwe from suspension.

Mr Mugabe has so far snubbed all attempts to bring Zimbabwe in line with Commonwealth principles.

- NZPA