(STICKY) (NEWZIMBABWE) US says no change yet on Zim sanctions
COMMENTS - Not only does ZDERA need to be revoked, the Zimbabwean people have to be apologized to, and compensation paid for both material and emotional damages. ZDERA caused the destruction of the Zimbabwe Dollar in the year 2002, which caused the fall of tobacco exports in 2002.US says no change yet on Zim sanctions
26/03/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter I AFP
THE United States is reviewing its sanctions on Zimbabwe but has made no decision yet to follow the European Union in easing an assets freeze and travel visa ban, a top official said Monday.
Washington commended the government for holding a "peaceful and credible constitutional referendum" earlier this month, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.
It was "an important first step in the nation's development of democracy," he said of the March 16 vote called to approve a new constitution.
But the United States is still waiting to see if it can "serve as a precedent for upcoming presidential elections."
"So we're going to continue to review our sanctions, but we want to get the democratic process back on track in Zimbabwe."
The European Union on Monday lifted sanctions against 81 people and eight entities in Zimbabwe following the March referendum.
However, President Robert Mugabe and a handful of others remained on the EU blacklist, a European diplomat confirmed.
The United States began imposing targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2001, which include financial sanctions and travel bans on a list of firms and individuals, including Mugabe.
Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said in August during a visit to South Africa that Washington would reward efforts by Zimbabwe's leaders to pave the way toward free elections, saying the United States is prepared to "match action for action."
In a recent interview, Washington’s top envoy in Harare, Bruce Wharton, suggested sanctions targeting some 121 individuals and 71 firms would likely be easier to reverse while the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) would require congressional action.
“The individual sanctions, the targeted sanctions, is something that the executive branch of government can deal with and we are prepared to make adjustments to those in response to positive developments in Zimbabwe’s movement back towards to full democracy and the rule of law,” Wharton told SW Radio Africa.
“ZIDERA - which basically instructs American representatives to the international financial institutions to oppose new loan facilities or debt-forgiveness for Zimbabwe until such time as the country returns to the rule of law, respects human rights and has credible elections - is a congressional, that’s actually a law, something that our Congress will have to examine and consider about.
[However, it also gives the US President wide discretion as to whether or not or how to implement the law. ZDERA directs the US Secretary of the Treasury to direct US Directors at international financial institutions to issue a veto on loans to the Government of Zimbabwe. Also, the US Treasury Secretary falls under the Executive Branch, which means the President can direct him to do whatever he wants. - MrK
FROM ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT OF 2001, S.494 OF THE 107TH US CONGRESS (SPONSOR: BILL FRIST; CO-SPONSORS: HILLARY CLINTON, JOE BIDEN, RUSS FEINGOLD AND JESSE HELMS):
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
(c) MULTILATERAL FINANCING RESTRICTION- Until the President makes the certification described in subsection (d), and except as may be required to meet basic human needs or for good governance, the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against--
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
“(But) I don’t have any insight into the Congressional schedule or consideration of ZIDERA. I did have a couple of really important conversations with senior members of the US Congress when I was in Washington and I know there’s concern about it and interest in it so it’s a live issue but I couldn’t predict about when ZIDERA would be reviewed.”
COMMENTS
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Tichaona Kwazvichasvika
Our own Zimbabwean banks are not even credited as transactionworthy by paypal yet these people claim sanctions are for gvernment officials. Tell the truth....
Error 3028: You have accessed your account from a sanctioned country. Per international sanctions regulations, you are not authorized to access the PayPal system, For more information about your PayPal account status, contact complianceverification
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Shumba_Shawa
I know China is not laughing about all these positive activities from EU and USA. Zimbabwe is back and will be better in no time.
I am coming home soon. Tell the world I am coming home.
Labels: NEOCOLONIALISM, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
posted by MrK @ 6:46 PM
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