MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

5.9.2006

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure
by Johan van Hecke, Marios Matsakis and Jan Mulder
on behalf of the ALDE Group
on Zimbabwe

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B6‑0502/06

European Parliament resolution on Zimbabwe

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Zimbabwe,

• A.whereas the risk of an explosion that could cost thousands of lives in the country and shatter the stability of Southern Africa is growing in Zimbabwe;
• B.whereas political reform is blocked and virtually every economic indicator continues on a downward trend;
• C.whereas a sense of political paralysis hangs over the country;
• D.whereas Zimbabwe still has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world and Zimbabwean government policies and practices violate the rights of people living with the disease and those most at risk of infection; these violations threaten their right to health, information, work, equal protection before the law and non-discrimination;
• E.Whereas the government of Zimbabwe is proposing a Bill on the Interception of Communications which will allow the military, intelligence services, police and the office the president to monitor e-mail correspondents, internet access and telephone conversations,
• F.Whereas due to the political and economic crisis between three to five million Zimbabweans left Zimbabwe, most of them for South Africa,
• G.Concerned by human rights organisations' report that migrants from Zimbabwe are vulnerable to mistreatment and abuse in South Africa;
• 1.Welcomes the Council Decision of 30 January 2006 renewing restrictive measures against Zimbabwe;
• 2.Calls on the EU and its Member States to maintain and strictly enforce targeted sanctions against senior members of the Zimbabwe government, ZANU-PF and closely associated businesses, including the travel ban and arms embargo;
• 3.Calls on the SADC and the African Union to put pressure on Harare to accept the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) as a negotiating partner;
• 4.Calls on Secretary-General Kofi Annan to create a high level UN investigation into the Zimbabwean government's housing demolition project, Operation Murambatsvina, which has been strongly criticised by Church leaders for its failure to provide replacement accommodation;
• 5.Takes note of the "New Patriotic Front", a non-violent, nationwide campaign focused on bread-and-butter economic demands, and calls on the government of Zimbabwe and ZANU-PF to negotiate with the MDC on arrangements for free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections (the latter perhaps moved forward to 2008), including repeal or suspension of repressive "security laws" enacted in recent years;
• 6.Regrets that Zimbabwe's progress in the fight against the pandemic is being undermined by the government's abusive practices such as its eviction program which has disrupted access to healthcare and inadequate social welfare policies which have further heightened the vulnerability of AIDS patients;
• 7.Calls upon the government of Zimbabwe to withdraw the Bill on the Interception of Communications which further restricts the right to freedom of expression and information and calls also for the suspension of all repressive "security laws" enacted in recent years;
• 8.Regrets the lack of new initiatives for mediation as it appears that Zimbabweans will have to start the process of creating new circumstances on the ground before the external actors can be stimulated to become more actively involved;
• 9.Calls upon the government to convene a national reconciliation conference in order to reach an agreement with opposition parties and civil society representatives to address the political crisis and pave the way for fair and democratic transition after 2008;
• 10.Calls upon South Africa to address the specific situation of Zimbabwean migrants through comprehensive measures in compliance with human rights provisions;
• 11.Calls upon the EU to help neighbouring countries of Zimbabwe who are confronted with refugee problems;
• 12.Regrets the failure of Council to respond to the Parliament's consistent calls for increased pressure and adequate steps against the Mugabe regime;
• 13.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Governments of the Member States, the Governments and Parliaments of Zimbabwe and South Africa, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, the UN Secretary General, the Presidents of the Commission and Council of the African Union and the Secretary General of the SADC.