MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

7.7.2008

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Gabriele Zimmer and Feleknas Uca
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
on the situation in Zimbabwe

B6‑0371/2008

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Zimbabwe

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the resolution on the forthcoming election runoff in Zimbabwe adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Commission) meeting at its 43rd Ordinary Session in Ezulwini, the Kingdom of Swaziland, from 7 to 22 May 2008,

–  having regard to the report of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Election Observer Mission on the harmonised elections in the Republic of Zimbabwe on 29 March 2008,

–   having regard to the recent statement by Nelson Mandela, deploring the tragic lack of leadership in Zimbabwe,

–   having regard to the preliminary statement of the South African Development Community (SADC) Election Observer Mission on the Zimbabwe presidential runoff and House of National Assembly by-elections of 29 June,

–   having regard to the interim statement of the Pan-African Parliament Election Observer Mission on the presidential runoff and parliamentary by-elections in Zimbabwe of 30 June,

–   having regard to the preliminary statement of the African Union Observer Mission to Zimbabwe of 29 June 2008,

–   having regard to the final communiqué of the 11th African Union Summit, held in Sharm el-Sheikh on 30 June-1 July 2008,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas elections to the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe, the Senate of Zimbabwe, the Presidency and the organs of local government took place on 29 March 2008,

B.  whereas the results of the presidential election were delayed for several weeks, thus further undermining the credibility and transparency of the electoral process,

C.  whereas the presidential runoff took place on 27 June 2008 despite the withdrawal of the presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai as a result of increasing violence and restrictions on the opposition party and its supporters,

D.  whereas in the run-up to the second round of the presidential elections, activists and supporters of the opposition suffered from state-sponsored violence, torture, intimidation and arbitrary arrests, and, according to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), at least 86 of its supporters were killed and 200 000 displaced from their homes; whereas Monitors from Southern African Development Community, the Pan-African Parliament and the African Union (AU) concluded that the runoff vote was undermined by violence and did not reflect the will of the people, which fell short of AU and SADC standards,

E.  whereas the interim statement of the PAP observer mission concluded that the atmosphere prevailing in the country did not give rise to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections, that conditions should be put in place for the holding of free, fair, credible elections as soon as possible and that the SADC leaders should work together with the African Union to engage the broader political leadership in Zimbabwe in a negotiated transitional settlement,

F.  whereas the preliminary statement delivered by the SADC Election Observer Mission concluded that the process leading up to the presidential runoff elections held on 27 June 2008 did not conform to the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections and that the elections did not reflect the will of the people of Zimbabwe,

G.  whereas AU election observers stated that the presidential runoff election fell short of standards set by the African Union,

H.  whereas the AU summit of 30 June-1 July called on the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the MDC to enter into negotiations with a view to creating a Government of National Unity,

1.  Strongly condemns the government-sponsored campaign of violence against the political opposition ahead of the second round of the Presidential elections, which resulted in the killing of opposition activists and supporters as well as human rights defenders;

2.  Considers that the campaign of violence, threat and intimidation against the opposition made a free and fair runoff presidential election in Zimbabwe impossible and therefore that the result of the elections held on 27 June should not be recognised by the international community;

3.  Welcomes and supports the resolution of the Summit of the African Union and calls on that organisation and its member states to continue their mediation efforts with a view to finding a political solution to the crisis in Zimbabwe;

4.  Calls on the Member States, the Council and the Commission actively to support these efforts and to coordinate their diplomatic and other political activities closely with the African Union and the SADC, as well as with other important actors such as the South African and the Chinese Governments;

5.  Supports the call for the creation of a Government of National Unity;

6.  Strongly urges Robert Mugabe and the leader of the MDC Party, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, to honour their commitment to initiating dialogue with a view to promoting peace, stability, democracy and the reconciliation of the Zimbabwean people;

7.  Strongly advocates that the internal dialogue should not be restricted to the two political parties, but rather include other civil-society actors;

8.  Calls urgently on Robert Mugabe’s government immediately to stop all violence, to disarm and demobilise the militias and to release without delay all persons detained for solely political reasons; underlines the need to end the impunity of human rights violators, calls for the rehabilitation of the victims of the crisis and supports the proposal for the setting up of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission;

9.  Calls for an arms embargo against Zimbabwe, and calls on the Council to tighten and extend targeted sanctions against members of the Mugabe regime and others responsible for grave violations of human rights if mediation efforts are not accepted and the state‑sponsored violence is not ended;

10.  Appeals to all states and all parties concerned to refrain from any action that may negatively impact on the climate of dialogue;

11.  Notes the devastating impact that the political crisis is having upon the people of Zimbabwe; underlines the need for continued humanitarian aid from the international community and calls on the Mugabe government to lift all restrictions against humanitarian aid agencies and to ensure that humanitarian aid can be delivered in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence;

12.  Expresses deep concern about the situation of Zimbabwean refugees in the region; notes the forecasts which predict a 10% to 40% increase in numbers of Zimbabweans crossing borders in the next few weeks; calls on the neighbouring countries to grant refugees from Zimbabwe temporary status until a safe return is possible; calls on the European Commission to support the neighbouring countries with financial and material programmes for the refugees;

13.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the governments of the G8 countries, the governments and parliaments of Zimbabwe and South Africa, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Chairmen of the Commission and Executive Council of the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament, and the Secretary-General and governments of the Southern African Development Community and its Parliamentary Forum.