Decision to pull out of Commonwealth ‘illegal’

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe appeared more isolated than ever after he pulled his country out of the Commonwealth, a move the opposition in the impoverished southern African country slammed as illegal.

Analysts warned yesterday that while the ordinary person might not yet feel the pinch of pulling out of the Commonwealth, there was concern over Zimbabwe’s growing isolation.

Mugabe and scores of his close associates have been under targeted sanctions imposed by the EU and the US following disputed presidential polls in March last year that saw the veteran leader re-elected for a fresh six-year term in office.

Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth following those elections, which were marred by violence and political repression, and alleged vote-rigging.

“We are such a small country that we stand to lose that little significance we had in world affairs (by marching out of the Commonwealth),” said university lecturer Joseph Kurebwa.

The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has described Mugabe’s move as illegal, as it was not approved by the cabinet.

Following a weekend resolution by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) annual conference to pull out of the 54-nation club, the government had promised a cabinet meeting to make a final decision early this week.

But just over an hour after the Commonwealth decided to extend Zimbabwe’s suspension, Mugabe announced that the decision was “unacceptable” and Zimbabwe was quitting the grouping of mainly former British colonies with immediate effect.

“The decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth was taken without cabinet approval in terms of the constitution of Zimbabwe and is therefore unlawful,” said MDC secretary general Welshman Ncube. Leaving the Commonwealth “is an attempt to avoid returning to democratic principles,” he added.

Law lecturer and rights activist Lovemore Madhuku said the decision showed not only the “dictatorship of the ZANU-PF government” but also the limitations of the international community in dealing effectively with political crises.