Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-07-04-Speech-2-103"
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"en.20000704.4.2-103"2
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".
Mr President, honourable Members of the European Parliament, Commissioners, please forgive me first of all for my lateness, which is not due to any lunchtime whim but simply to the fact that Jacques Chirac, the French President, was with us. Mrs Fontaine accompanied him, which prolonged the essential trialogue that we held with Mr Prodi, the President of the Commission, by a few minutes.
Zimbabwe is experiencing a serious economic, social and political crisis. Despite some infringements of human rights, which have been rightly condemned by the international community, the country has remained, in essence, under the rule of law. It has been able to do so largely because of the dynamism of civil society and of the independence of its judicial system. Over the last three years, a reversal in its external economic situation has weakened its economic fabric, which is structured but ageing. Shifts towards authoritarianism and lax management of the economy have continued to tarnish the country’s image, undermined the confidence of the community of sponsors and has encouraged the people to challenge the government.
This discontent was expressed in February’s referendum on the constitution, which was the first time that the Presidential party had lost an election since independence in 1980. Legislative elections were therefore a major issue for the ruling party. In order to hamper the success of the opposition, the ruling party risked heightening tensions by conducting a tough election campaign and by making the unequal distribution of farmland the issue for mobilising the rural world and veterans of the war of independence. With regard to this issue, the Head of State has allowed a huge movement for the occupation of properties to develop and has halted the legal framework for future compulsory purchases. These shifts, which I have just mentioned, have resulted in the deaths of 33 people, they have made the economic crisis worse and have distorted fair competition in the elections, thereby creating a real risk of instability in southern Africa.
The European Union nevertheless considered it important that elections should be held and that the results should be credible and acceptable. It therefore sought the agreement of the Zimbabwean authorities to send, as far in advance of the elections as possible, a large mission of nearly 200 observers, thereby demonstrating the Union’s interest in seeing democracy consolidated in that country. Nobody can deny the fact that this presence contributed to reducing tensions and to restoring a climate, which was as conducive as possible, in such a highly sensitive context, to the free expression of the whole population’s right to vote.
I wish at this point to pay tribute to Mr Schori, who led this mission, and to the remarkable work accomplished by his team. Although our observers noted that the degree of violence, irregularities and intimidation in the period leading up to the elections meant that the words ‘free and honest’ could not be applied to the fifth legislative elections in the history of Zimbabwe, they nevertheless emphasised the efficient organisation of the voting itself, the large turnout – I believe it was the largest since independence was achieved – and the peaceful atmosphere in which it took place. The vote-counting processes were not cause for controversy either.
On behalf of the European Union, I should also like to congratulate the Zimbabwean people, who, by taking part in these elections in such numbers, have proved their determination to take their destiny into their hands in a peaceful and democratic way. I am also pleased to note that the results of the elections have been universally accepted by all participating parties. The entry into Parliament of a significant opposition – in fact it almost has a majority in the seats that were contested in these elections – suggests that constructive debates will be held. Zimbabwe has undoubtedly turned a new page in its young history.
The fundamental problems still remain, of course, and they remain intact. This is why the Union is urging all political forces in Zimbabwe to mobilise and to bring together the threads of dialogue, in order to set the country firmly on the road to recovery. The Union hopes that the new government will adopt, with the help of the country’s new representatives, credible measures for getting the economy back on its feet, measures which are likely to restore the confidence of local operators and of donors.
For twenty years, the European Union has shown itself to be Zimbabwe’s leading partner in its development. Zimbabwe is a friendly country and a partner country under the Lomé Convention and the European Union hopes to continue this policy, with acknowledged respect for human rights, for democratic principles and for the primacy of law. Because the Union wishes to continue to intervene on behalf of those who have been worst affected by the crisis, it is particularly willing to provide assistance for the necessary land reform in order to reduce poverty, despite the fact that this has not been implemented in an orderly, transparent or rational way. The European Union wants to believe in the future of a democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe, which is a factor for the stability and the harmonious development of southern Africa."@en1
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