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Despots Club Unhappy 27th April 2003 It was lauded as a triumph for democracy and a defining moment for the future of Africa. But the decision to suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth may also have sounded the organisation's death knell. Last month, amid widespread opposition, members of 'The Club' decided to uphold the suspension. The rancour which accompanied the decision now threatens to tear apart the association of former British colonies, which has endured for more than 50 years and is made up of 54 nations, together accounting for nearly a third of the world's population. Zimbabwe's suspension until the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), due to be held in Nigeria in December, has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many of the leading African members who had argued in favour of its re-admission. They believe it is time the tail (predominantly white countries such as Britain, Australia Canada and New Zealand) stopped wagging the dog. The Commonwealth, which has neither a constitution nor charter, is seen by critics as a powerless and ineffectual club of former British territories that has lost sight of its raison d'etre; namely to give economic power and moral purpose to former members of the British Empire. Many believe its days are numbered; that is spends more time disciplining errant members such as Zimbabwe and Pakistan than helping the world's poor. The first big Commonwealth meeting in Africa took place in Nigeria in 1966. Then, the talk was about how to control Ian Smith, Rhodesia's prime minister. Nearly 40 years later, Zimbabwe, as it is now, is still the cause of acrimony. December's CHOGM meeting in Abuja promises to be an explosive affair. Presidents Sam Nujoma of Namibia, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Ben Mkapa of Tanzania have made no secret of the fact that they believe the Commonwealth should spend more time tackling poverty and disease and less on Mugabe's regime. Although he is detested by "old" club members, Mugabe is much admired in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania. Meanwhile, sources in Harare, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam and Windhoek have revealed that both African and some Asian countries are considering pulling out of the Commonwealth. They say there is a widespread feeling that white members of the club have ruled the roost too long, spending most of their time lecturing former colonies about the need to implement Westminster-style democracy in their countries. One idea gaining currency among disenchanted African nations is that of pulling out of the Commonwealth and pursuing their interests through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which represents 116 developing nations. Playing to the growing audience of frustrated African leaders, Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe has repeatedly pointed out that the organisation that made little voices big during the days of the Cold War was not the Commonwealth but the far more radical NAM, founded in 1955 by the independent India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Marianne Haslegrave, the director of the Commonwealth Medical Association, said: "The danger is that the Commonwealth is seen as a talking shop where nothing gets done. It should concentrate on what it is still good at; helping ordinary people live healthier and happier lives. It took us 600 years to have a multi-party democracy and live with the concept of a loyal opposition. Former colonies in the Commonwealth are expected to do that overnight and it can't be done." Derek Ingram, an expert on the Commonwealth, said: "In the 1970s the Commonwealth led the world on a war against racism in Rhodesia and apartheid in South Africa. Today it seems to lack a great purpose. We need far more internal self-criticism and transparency. Now is the time to raise the level of debate and ask, 'Where on earth are we heading?'" Last year Commonwealth Secretary Don McKinnon warned that unless Club members could come up with real answers to real problems, such as pollution control and care for the environment, the Commonwealth was heading towards a brick wall. In Dar es Salaam, Phillip Magani, the MP for Ruangwa, said the Commonwealth is in danger of losing Tanzania's support simply because it is "dominated" by the economic interests of the "big boys". He said Tanzania's vital concerns lay in the future of agriculture and not a war of words between Tony Blair and Mugabe. "America under Bush and now the European Union countries use subsidies to protect their already rich farmers," he said. "They keep the developing world in poverty. Subsidies in America currently amount to $350bn [£220bn] a year, about $1bn [£629m] a day. Agricultural subsidies in America equal the entire GDP of sub-Saharan Africa and are seven times as much as rich countries give in development aid. Paying rich Western farmers to overproduce has an immediate impact on poor country farmers and most Commonwealth members are poor country farmers." And while there is still widespread support for the Queen as head of the Commonwealth, there is disquiet at the prospect of Prince Charles taking over the role. Magani said: "Charles is a bit of an unknown commodity. Her Majesty we will always respect, but the title Head of the Commonwealth goes to an individual, not a country and it's not hereditary. Maybe the job should be abolished once the Queen goes." Many observers believe the Commonwealth must institute radical changes, but the ominous voices in Africa and Asia suggest time is running out. Trevor Grundy - The
Scotsman (UK) |
