Monday 08 December 2003 Zimbabwe leaves Commonwealth  | Commonwealth countries at their meeting in Nigeria have been considering the consequences of Zimbabwe's decision to leave the organisation. Zimbabwe had been suspended from the Commonwealth because of concerns over democracy and human rights abuses. This report from Barnaby Mason: |
 Listen to the story The dispute over Zimbabwe has dominated the summit. Many countries resent the amount of time it's taken up, but others stressed the vital importance of insisting on Commonwealth standards of democracy. The New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, denied that Zimbabwe's withdrawal was a disaster for the Commonwealth. The disaster would have been to lift the suspension, she said; that would have shown the Commonwealth to be a joke.
On the other side of the argument, President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique said the Commonwealth decision had pushed Zimbabwe to leave and could have been avoided. He also complained that the organisation had acted undemocratically itself last March, when the suspension was left in place beyond the original twelve months. But Mr Chissano said he respected the views of others in the Commonwealth and didn't think the episode should bring about enmity between member states. In the end, the Southern Africa supporters of the Zimbabwe government under-estimated the opposition across the Commonwealth, including that of some other African states, to letting Zimbabwe back without progress on democracy and human rights.
Barnaby Mason, BBC diplomatic correspondent, Abuja
Listen to the words the dispute the disagreement, the argument dominated was the most important subject the summit a summit is an official meeting between leaders of two or more governments resent the amount of time it's taken up are angry that so much time has been used on this subject Commonwealth an organisation including the United Kingdom and countries that were part of the British Empire to lift the suspension to allow Zimbabwe back into the organisation the episode what happened at the summit bring about enmity cause bad feeling under-estimated the opposition didn’t realise the opposition was so strong  Read more about this story | |  | | | SEARCH IN LEARNING ENGLISH | | | |
|
|
