IN THE wake of the Arusha summit in Nigeria the Commonwealth split over Zimbabwe is exemplified in a sampling of divergent views.According to dispatches from the Reuters news agency the External Affairs Secretary of Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party has dismissed critics of the decision to quit the 54-nation grouping in these terms:
"Whatever our detractors are saying, for us this is like an escape from hell because Britain and its white allies have turned the Commonwealth into a Zimbabwe lynching club..." At the other end of the spectrum Prime Minister Tony Blair has told the House of Commons that the decision to maintain the suspension was a hard fought outcome "and a victory for Commonwealth values".
Two camps have formed around the issue. On the one hand are those countries, led by Britain, which seek to isolate Zimbabwe in defence of democracy. On the other are those countries, which include a large contingent from the Third World, which believe that exclusion will do Zimbabwean democracy more harm than good.
Britain maintains that the Zimbabwean President is exhibiting increasingly dictatorial behaviour in his treatment of the country's political opposition. For his part, Mr. Mugabe sees the opposition as a British stooge. To him, the real issue is Zimbabwe's commitment to land reform, which is hurting some British Zimbabweans. Zimbabwe, he maintains, has a right to press ahead with land reform without foreign interference, especially from its former coloniser.
In the middle are the many countries which, while concerned about the decay of Zimbabwean democracy, are also sympathetic to the country's land reform programme. Many governments would probably prefer to see Mr. Mugabe step down, or at least ease up on his opponents, but not at the cost of the country's diplomatic isolation.
Here at home the opposition Jamaica Labour Party has expressed concern about Mr. Mugabe's stance which it sees as an attempt to divide the Commonwealth along racial lines.
Prime Minister Patterson played a leading role in the attempt to negotiate a settlement with the Zimbabwean leader but it is still not clear on which side of the split that role has put Jamaica. As we understand it a definitive statement is anticipated on the Prime Minister's return to the island at weekend. Taking sides with racism of any hue should not be an option.
