Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II called on Commonwealth leaders to fight poverty and build peace, as she opened a summit of the 54-nation grouping on Friday that is likely to focus on its rift over Zimbabwe.
Making her first visit to Nigeria since independence in 1960, the queen joined leaders from 52 members of the Commonwealth at a colourful opening ceremony in the modern capital of this West African giant.
“Eradicating poverty, fighting terror, bridging the digital divide and building a more peaceful world are some of the challenges this meeting will have to face,” she said.
“Your decisions can make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Although he was pointedly not invited to Abuja, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s presence is looming large over the four-day meeting, with officials keen to avert a damaging split between African nations and the wealthy “white Commonwealth” over how to handle Zimbabwe.
Summit host President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria has urged the meeting to move beyond Zimbabwe and tackle other pressing matters of concern to the global body, including trade, terrorism and the promotion of democracy.
Zimbabwe, mired in deep political and economic crises and threatened with famine, was expelled from the Commonwealth in March last year after Mugabe was re-elected in a poll marred by violence and fraud.
“There is a will to move the [Zimbabwe] issue forward, and to move on from this issue,” said Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon, whose own future is also a hot topic at the meeting with a surprise challenge for the top job from Sri Lanka.
President Joachim Chissano of Mozambique, current president of the African Union, rekindled the Zimbabwe debate by regretting Mugabe’s absence and calling for him to be readmitted to the body of mostly former British colonies.
“We don’t think that isolation is the best way if we want change in any country,” he said on Thursday.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary body with 54 members representing 1,8-billion people in nations as diverse as India and the tiny Pacific island of Tuvalu, although both Pakistan and Zimbabwe are currently suspended.
McKinnon said at the opening ceremony that one of the most important issues the meeting will have to discuss is an end to trade barriers.
“The success of this summit will not lie in the words that it generates but its impact on people’s lives and that is how we should measure our success,” said McKinnon.
“Democracy and development are the twin engines of progress and no one will get very far flying on a single engine.”
McKinnon has said most Commonwealth leaders want to see real progress in talks between Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change on finding a plan to rebuild democracy in Zimbabwe.
Lower-level ministers have prepared a report on the suspension of both Zimbabwe and Pakistan for the meeting of 40 heads of state and government and 12 top-level national representatives.
McKinnon said that while Pakistan is “very busy building democracy again” Zimbabwe has not got much closer to satisfying goals set at previous Commonwealth meetings.
Pakistan was suspended in October 1999 when General Pervez Musharraf seized power in a coup. He has since held parliamentary elections, however, and is seen as working slowly towards restoring elected rule.
Another issue causing ripples in the Commonwealth is a surprise last-minute bid by former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar to succeed McKinnon as secretary general.
Delegates may be asked to vote on the challenge during the summit and although it could be a close race, diplomatic sources in Sri Lanka said Kadirgamar’s prospects of getting the job were low.
McKinnon, a New Zealander who has been in the post since April 2000, has the support of his Prime Minister, Helen Clark, for a second four-year term.
“It is not the way things are usually done in the Commonwealth,” she said through a spokesperson, referring to Kadirgamar’s candidature. — Sapa-AFP
‘Trade barriers should go’