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EU 'will lift all sanctions' if elections pass Sadc observer test
13 Jul 2013 at 10:51hrs | Views
IF AFRICAN observers declare Zimbabwe's elections on July 31 free and fair, and there are no protests by the opposition, the European Union (EU) will lift its remaining sanctions on President Robert Mugabe's government, the EU's ambassador to South Africa said on Friday, the Business Day reported.
"If the elections are internationally recognised, we will simply do what we have to do and lift our restrictive measures," Roeland van de Geer told reporters.
"Who are we as the EU to say, 'No, we know better than Sadc'?" he asked.
The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has been given the responsibility of negotiating with Mr Mugabe and other political forces in Zimbabwe to help ensure the elections are free, fair and peaceful.
The 28-nation EU has relaxed some of its long-standing sanctions, but still has a few in place against about 20 Zimbabwean companies and individuals, including 89-year-old Mr Mugabe and his close entourage.
The measures prevent trading with the EU or travelling to EU countries.
"We are not happy about the situation in Zimbabwe but there has been progress. That progress has been enough for us to suspend, if not remove, some of the sanctions," Mr van de Geer told a briefing.
The Sadc is considered by many analysts to have soft-soaped Mr Mugabe's regime for the past 15 years of political crisis.
"We feel that further reform in the media and the army is needed. We would like to have seen more reforms in Zimbabwe. But we really think South Africa has invested a lot of political energy," Mr van de Geer said.
Mr Mugabe and his ruling Zanu (PF) party, who have led Zimbabwe without interruption since independence from Britain in 1980, have banned EU election observers. That job will be mainly restricted to observers from Sadc and the African Union.
Mr van de Geer said European observers were "tougher".
Asked what the EU would do if Sadc declared the elections free and fair, he replied: "I would say it would be fair if the EU normalised relations with Zimbabwe. We would have to lift sanctions."
He added, though, that the EU would first study Sadc's reports and hear what the opposition and others had to say.
"If the elections are internationally recognised, we will simply do what we have to do and lift our restrictive measures," Roeland van de Geer told reporters.
"Who are we as the EU to say, 'No, we know better than Sadc'?" he asked.
The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has been given the responsibility of negotiating with Mr Mugabe and other political forces in Zimbabwe to help ensure the elections are free, fair and peaceful.
The 28-nation EU has relaxed some of its long-standing sanctions, but still has a few in place against about 20 Zimbabwean companies and individuals, including 89-year-old Mr Mugabe and his close entourage.
The measures prevent trading with the EU or travelling to EU countries.
"We are not happy about the situation in Zimbabwe but there has been progress. That progress has been enough for us to suspend, if not remove, some of the sanctions," Mr van de Geer told a briefing.
The Sadc is considered by many analysts to have soft-soaped Mr Mugabe's regime for the past 15 years of political crisis.
"We feel that further reform in the media and the army is needed. We would like to have seen more reforms in Zimbabwe. But we really think South Africa has invested a lot of political energy," Mr van de Geer said.
Mr Mugabe and his ruling Zanu (PF) party, who have led Zimbabwe without interruption since independence from Britain in 1980, have banned EU election observers. That job will be mainly restricted to observers from Sadc and the African Union.
Mr van de Geer said European observers were "tougher".
Asked what the EU would do if Sadc declared the elections free and fair, he replied: "I would say it would be fair if the EU normalised relations with Zimbabwe. We would have to lift sanctions."
He added, though, that the EU would first study Sadc's reports and hear what the opposition and others had to say.
Source - BDlive
