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Zimbabwe: Elections

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall now repeat a Statement made in another place on the situation in Zimbabwe. The Statement is as follows: ““I am sure that the whole House will unite in its condemnation of the depravity of the Mugabe regime; in grieving at the needless loss of life; in wanting to send a clear message of support and solidarity to the people of Zimbabwe at this time; and in supporting new African efforts to find a resolution to the crisis. We share both their demand for a democratic future and their belief that they should not be denied this by violence or intimidation. Our primary concern has always been for them. ““Since 29 March and the extraordinary scenes of courage shown then by those ordinary people who put their faith in democracy and the ballot box, we have seen a regime that has reverted to type. President Mugabe and his key generals use changes to the law as a means of identifying people who chose to vote for change. From then onwards, a campaign of violence was inflicted on those people, intend to punish them for having the temerity to say no to Robert Mugabe and no to ZANU-PF. We know that 34,000 people have been displaced, 2,700 injured and 84 murdered since that day. Two thousand of those people are sheltering in Harare, in MDC headquarters. ““This is not British propaganda. NGOs have documented the existence of torture camps. Independent media have published the names of those who have directed and orchestrated that violence. African election observers have seen the violence with their own eyes. Thousands of teachers and public servants had volunteered as presiding officers in the first round but have withdrawn their names for fear of violence and intimidation. ““By Sunday, only 84 local election observers had been accredited when more than 10,000 had applied. It is a matter of public record that Morgan Tsvangirai has been detained five times in the past 10 days and that MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti has been in prison and charged with a trumped-up treason offence since arriving back in Harare. The stage was set for the most rigged election in African history. ““Robert Mugabe and his thugs have made an election impossible. It is clear that the only people with democratic legitimacy are those who won the parliamentary majority on 29 March and took most votes in the first round of the presidential election—the Opposition. Zimbabwe needs a Government who are broad based and command the confidence of the majority of Zimbabweans. In addition to stopping the violence, that must be the focus of regional and international efforts. Since the announcement yesterday, the Prime Minister, Lord Malloch-Brown and I have spoken to Foreign Ministers and key figures in southern Africa and around the world. This is a crucial moment for Africa and the region. Ahead of the election, 40 senior Africans underlined their concern at the conditions in Zimbabwe. ““The AU Commission has called for violence to end. The head of the Pan African Parliament Observer Mission said that violence was now at the top of the agenda of this electoral process. Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, who is currently chair of Southern African Development Community, has said that, "““the current political environment in Zimbabwe falls far short of (SADC's) ... principles and guidelines””." He said yesterday that the situation was scandalous and that what was happening in Zimbabwe was embarrassing to all Africans in the region. It is now for SADC and AU leaders to convene in early session and to establish a clear basis for regional engagement on the issue. ““At the European Council last week, the Prime Minister and other leaders underlined their readiness to take further measures should President Mugabe attempt to steal the election. On behalf of the EU, the Slovenian Foreign Minister has issued a clear statement condemning the violence and the conditions which forced Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the election. I spoke to Foreign Minister Rupel last night to welcome that statement and to discuss with him now the need to consider urgently how we can put further pressure—a widening and deepening of the EU visa ban and targeted financial measures—on Robert Mugabe and his elite which can be actioned at the next meeting of EU Foreign Ministers. Javier Solana and Commissioner Michel have both now issued statements condemning the violence and supporting Morgan Tsvangirai's decision. ““I have spoken to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and I welcome his statement yesterday. Later today, the Security Council will discuss Zimbabwe. I am sure that our permanent representative will speak for the whole House when he says that the UN must contribute to the resolution of this crisis before the entire region is destabilised further. It is right and it is necessary that the Security Council, the African Union and SADC work together on this. The UN agencies have prepared for the many more refugees who may now flee Zimbabwe. The UN Secretary-General’s envoy remains in the region and should be allowed to return to Zimbabwe. But the burden will still be borne by the region and by Zimbabwe's neighbours, and the role of their leaders is vital. Britain has long and historical links with Zimbabwe. I have never believed that the rights and wrongs of history should prevent us from speaking clearly and frankly about the situation today. Robert Mugabe's misrule does not invalidate the struggle for independence: our colonial history does not mean we cannot denounce that which is wrong. The test at all times should be whether our commitment and action can help the people of Zimbabwe. ““The cynical decision to suspend NGOs delivering vital aid shows how far Mugabe has gone in abandoning Zimbabwe's people. Our foremost duty is still to press for humanitarian space to be re-opened and for those NGOs to be allowed to restart operations. One and a half million people have been affected by the ban. As the second largest bilateral donor, we will continue to provide aid and assistance as we can. The Secretary of State for International Development has chaired a meeting this morning to consider what more we can do to support urgently those in Zimbabwe. I have spoken to our ambassador and he and his staff are working hard to maintain a full suite of diplomatic amenities. Travel advice remains under review and recommends against all but essential travel. ““We will continue our efforts publicly and privately press for a solution to this crisis that reflects the will of the people in Zimbabwe. I am sure that honourable Members will agree with me that such a solution cannot come quickly enough. Mr Mugabe says that only God can remove him from office. Let us hope that the people of Zimbabwe get there first””. My Lords, that concludes the Statement.