Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-17-Speech-3-172"
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"en.20000517.10.3-172"2
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"The Commission is concerned about the evolving situation in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, for decades a stable country, is now going through an increasingly severe economic and political crisis. Parliamentary elections have now been announced by the government for 24 and 25 June. This is a good sign.
The pursuance of illegal farm occupations, continued violence, death, injuring and intimidation of the opposition are being interpreted as part of the ruling party’s electoral campaign. Recent weeks have witnessed a series of international initiatives to facilitate the holding of free and fair elections. The General Affairs Council of 10 April urged the government of Zimbabwe to create the conditions to hold free and fair elections. The Commission continues to urge the government of Zimbabwe to hold elections, free of intimidation. I had a very direct conversation with President Mugabe at the EU-Africa Summit. I followed this up with a letter to him this week.
Following the EU Member States’ agreement in the Azores on 6 and 7 May, the Commission this week has a mission in Zimbabwe to look at necessary arrangements for an EU observer team and to coordinate with other election observation initiatives by SADC, the Commonwealth and the US. The Commission has already provided EUR 220 000 for the training of 1 440 Zimbabwean election observers and has made available another EUR 6 million to support initiatives from civil society, including on good governance and democratisation. The Commission electoral assessment mission now in Zimbabwe is discussing with Member States arrangements to deal with the logistical and operational aspects of this exercise, in particular, funding, freedom of movement and security of service.
EU observers are not being sent to legitimise an electoral process so far marked by intimidation and violence. However, international observers could play an important role in deterring violence and building confidence, especially in the rural areas. A preliminary EU proposal currently being developed would see the deployment of 150 observers, 100 of whom would be deployed in the first week of June to observe the electoral campaign and the rest to augment the EU’s observation of the vote and the count. Consultations with the government, coordination with other international observer missions, such as the Commonwealth, US and Norway, and with local observation initiatives are on-going. Acknowledging the long experience of the European Parliament in election observation, we invite representatives to participate.
With respect to development cooperation, the Commission is maintaining its European Development Fund poverty alleviation aid directed through the social sectors of health, education and rural development and, in particular, to combat the HIV/Aids epidemic. These poverty alleviation programmes facilitate the pursuance of dialogue with civil society and provide an appropriate political signal. The international community, while condemning certain governmental actions, still supports the people of Zimbabwe. Given the government’s poor macroeconomic performance, the EU, like the IMF and the World Bank, has already frozen structural adjustment support.
On the question of the possible suspension of Zimbabwe's privileges under the Lomé Convention, there could be grounds for suspension if the Commission considers, after consulting thoroughly with Member States, that this would not be counterproductive at this stage before the elections. We fear it would be manipulated and interpreted as a collective reaction orchestrated by what are polemically called ‘former colonial powers’ against Zimbabwe and its government.
In the worst scenario, if respect for the rule of law further deteriorates or if the elections were to be flawed, the Commission would have to consider whether Zimbabwe merits the privileges accorded under the Lomé Convention. Suspension of these privileges would be economically crippling for Zimbabwe and would aggravate the crisis. But so far I believe we have followed the right course."@en1
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