Zimbabwe’s aspirations to rejoin the Commonwealth have suffered a significant setback after the United Kingdom announced it would not support Harare’s readmission bid.
The UK’s foreign office emphasised that Zimbabwe must first address its governance and human rights record before any consideration for re-admittance, effectively blocking the country’s return to the organisation from which it was suspended in 2002.
The Commonwealth Secretariat had previously recommended Zimbabwe’s readmission, providing member countries with a deadline of November 26 to express their views on the matter.
In a statement during a recent session in the House of Lords, the foreign office said the UK “has always been clear that we would like to see Zimbabwe return to the Commonwealth when the time is right.”
“However, currently we do not share the secretariat’s assessment of Zimbabwe’s progress or readiness in line with the shared values and principles laid out in the Commonwealth Charter.”
Readmission into the 56-member grouping of countries with historical ties to Britain requires unanimous approval from all member states, and the UK’s stance is a critical blow to Zimbabwe’s hopes.
While the UK acknowledged some progress in Zimbabwe, it insisted that further improvements are necessary.
“We believe further steps are needed on democracy, governance and human rights before Zimbabwe makes a formal application to re-join the Commonwealth.”
Concerns included the lack of independence of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and a lack of transparency in the announcement of election results.
