Tanzanian president attacks leaders about Zimbabwe

Tanzania’s president today launched an angry attack against attempts by Western nations to suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth.

Britain and Australia have lobbied hard for Commonwealth members to suspend Zimbabwe because of violence and intimidation by supporters of President Robert Mugabe in his re-election campaign.

The issue has opened deep divisions among member nations and dominated a four-day summit of Commonwealth leaders at the sleepy seaside resort of Coolum on Australia’s east coast.

‘‘There is a disagreement here about tactics,’’ British Prime Minister Tony Blair said. ‘‘Some of the African countries feel it is wrong to suspend Zimbabwe at this moment.’’

Entering a summit meeting early today, Tanzania’s president Benjamin Mkapa said the Commonwealth should wait until the election is over before deciding if it needs to act.

‘‘The scene is unfolding in Zimbabwe, it is not unfolding in Coolum,’’ he said. ‘‘And unless we are going to make unintelligent, irrational decisions, we should let the scene play out there before we make a judgment.’’

Mugabe’s campaign to prolong his authoritarian 22-year rule has been marked by intimidation of opposition parties by militants from his ruling party. Mugabe is not at the summit.

Leaders were planning to discuss the highly charged issue in the informal atmosphere of a two-day private retreat starting this afternoon.

The 54-nation Commonwealth has election observers in Zimbabwe who will report back to the organisation on the conduct of the poll.

‘‘You are assuming that if the government wins, the election isn’t fair. That is ridiculous,’’ said Mkapa. ‘‘Let’s wait and see. People vote, votes counted, observers give their observations, then we will know whether it has been free or fair.’’

Blair has attacked 78-year-old Mugabe ‘‘dictatorial’’ and called intimidation by his supporters ‘‘completely unacceptable, an outrage in terms of democracy’’.

But he has bowed to African demands that the Commonwealth hold off on taking any action against Zimbabwe until after the election.

In his first comments since arriving at the summit, Zimbabwe’s Information Minister Jonathan Moyo accused the opposition Movement for Democratic Change of inciting the violence in Zimbabwe and claiming it was the work of Mugabe supporters.

He told reporters that the push by Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to suspend Zimbabwe was race based.

‘‘It’s racism,’’ he said. ‘‘They are doing this because they are unhappy with the redistribution of land that is taking place in Zimbabwe. They don’t want to see social justice in Zimbabwe.’’

Asked what was his message to Blair was, Moyo replied: ‘‘Mr Blair should shut up. He should attend to the deteriorating public services in his own country.’’

In their first major decision of the summit, leaders agreed on Saturday to kick out any member state found to be harbouring or sponsoring terrorists.