London, Mar 17: Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth has been extended for a further nine months, the organisation's secretary-general Don Mckinnon has said.
The suspension was due to run out this week but it has
been extended until the commonwealth heads of government
discuss the situation in more detail when they meet in
December.
President Robert Mugabe's government was excluded from
the councils of the Commonwealth in march last year after
international observers ruled the elections which returned him
to power were seriously flawed.
Announcing the extension in London yesterday, Mckinnon
said there had been some disagreement among different members
of the Commonwealth as to what should happen next.
"Some member governments take the view that it is time to
lift Zimbabwe's suspension from the councils of the
Commonwealth when the one-year period expires on 19 March
2003," he said.
"Some others feel that there is no justification for such
a step and that there is in fact reason to impose stronger
measures," he added.
But Mckinnon said there was wide agreement that the
matter was best left to be reviewed at the Commonwealth Heads
of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Nigeria in December.
Bureau Report
