Maravi

Lt Gen Tembo opposes further Zim sanctions

Lt Gen Tembo opposes further Zim sanctions
By Laura Mushaukwa in Lusaka and Kingsley Kaswende in Harare
Thursday July 10, 2008 [04:00]

FORMER vice-president Lieutenant General Christon Tembo has warned that further sanctions against Zimbabwe are not a solution to the crisis in that country. But the European Union (EU) on Tuesday said the results of the discredited June 27 presidential runoff election could not form the basis for power-sharing negotiations to end the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

In an interview, Lt Gen Tembo explained that sanctions against Zimbabwe would not work because only the ordinary people would suffer.

He noted that the whole issue of Zimbabwe was mishandled a long time ago during the Lancaster Conference.

Lt Gen Tembo proposed that the only way out of the crisis was through dialogue, saying parties involved needed to sit down to resolve their differences.

"The only way out of this is not by sanctions but following the African Union where parties involved should sit down, talk to resolve their differences," he said.

Lt Gen Tembo added that it was only morally right for Britain to honour its promise over the land issue.

According to the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979, which ended biracial rule in Zimbabwe following negotiations between ZANU-PF and the Zimbabwe Rhodesia government, Britain was to fund the land distribution programme.

The Conservative Party led by former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and later John Major agreed to fund the programme but the Labour government under Tony Blair reneged on the pledge on grounds that they were a new government from diverse backgrounds without links to former colonial interests.

And Lt Gen Tembo dismissed assertions by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe that there were Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries that were contemplating military intervention.

"I don't think there is any SADC country which, would want military intervention, I think it is ridiculous, when you are in this situation you tend to make up all sorts of stories," said Lt Gen Tembo. "Zimbabweans should just be at peace with themselves knowing that they have peaceful neighbours."

But the EU said it supported the idea of a government of national unity, but would only accept a formula, which respected the will of the Zimbabwean people, as expressed in the elections of March 29, which saw the MDC win.

"The result of this vote must serve as a basis for a political settlement," the EU Presidency, held by France noted in a statement.

The EU encouraged SADC and South African President Thabo Mbeki to step up their efforts to foster this process, adding that the transition period must be as short as possible.

"The objective of any solution must be to re-consult the Zimbabwean people on a free, democratic and transparent basis as quickly as possible. Only this can provide a long-term response to the serious difficulties currently being faced in Zimbabwe, which are threatening regional stability," the statement read.

The EU also called for an immediate end to all forms of violence and that it was prepared to examine any appropriate individual measures against the perpetrators of violence at the earliest possible opportunity.

Meanwhile, G8 leaders that were meeting in Japan declared they would impose financial and other sanctions on leaders they described as "those individuals responsible for violence" in Zimbabwe.

In a statement issued by the G8 Summit in Japan, the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States effectively rejected the government of President Mugabe saying it was illegitimate.

"We deplore the fact that the Zimbabwean authorities pressed ahead with the presidential election despite the absence of appropriate conditions for free and fair voting as a result of their systematic violence, obstruction and intimidation.

We do not accept the legitimacy of any government that does not reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people," the leaders said.

Referring to the first round of elections in which Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won the most votes, they added that "it is important that any mediation process respect the results of the March 29, 2008 election."

They accused the ruling ZANU-PF party of "systematic violence, obstruction and intimidation" ahead of the second round of voting on June 27.

The leaders also issued an implicit call for the SADC's mediation, led by President Mbeki, to be widened to include other mediators.

The MDC accuses Mbeki of bias towards President Mugabe.
The G8 called on the African Union and SADC to "provide strong leadership," including taking measures aimed at "further strengthening the regional mediation process."
The leaders also called for the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, to appoint a special envoy to support the efforts of SADC and AU.

But the Zimbabwean government said the G8 leaders' rejection of President Mugabe's legitimacy and threats of financial measures against his regime were racist and an insult to African leaders.

"They want to undermine the African Union and President Mbeki's (mediation) efforts because they are racist, because they think only white people think better," said deputy information minister Bright Matonga. "It's an insult to African leaders."

Labels: CHRISTON TEMBO, SANCTIONS

posted by MrK @ 3:32 AM