‘R2P vote based on principle’

Mukudzei Chingwere

Herald Reporter

THE Government has explained its decision to vote against the United Nations’ (UN) “responsibility to protect” principle saying they are guided by history, own values and understanding of world events.

The principle ostensibly “embodies a political commitment to end the worst forms of violence and persecution”, but the organ has been blamed for selectively yielding policy inconsistencies.

Super powers China and Russia voted against the principle together with Libya, the imaginary beneficiaries of the plan.

Speaking to Star FM — Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet who is also Presidential spokesperson, Mr George Charamba gave the intricate details of the snub.

“When we take a position in respect of the UN resolution, we do so mindful of our own interest first and foremost, our own history, our own values as well as our understanding of world events especially in respect of precedent.

“Certain resolutions don’t mean what they say, they are actually a pretext for pursuing very selfish national goals and national policies which are invasive and always aimed at violating the sovereignty of nation states. So with that experience it was only logical that Zimbabwe will never support such a resolution and in any event Libyans who are supposed to be beneficiaries of that policy actually abstained and that’s very instructive,” said Mr Charamba. He also reminisced about the 2008 foiled attempt by the United States and Britain to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe using the United Nations framework.

The attempt failed after China and Russia exercised their veto power which saved the country from foreign invasion that later happened in Libya.

“You may recall that as recently as 2008 at the height of our land reform programme that same principle would have been used by certain Western countries as a pretext for invading Zimbabwe. Purely on the basis of self-interest on the part of those countries,” said Mr Charamba.

“They objected to our land reform programme and we were going to go to war with us to try and reverse and protect the interests of the landed gentry which happened to be white and ex-Rhodesians.

“Because China and Russia intervened and vetoed, Zimbabwe was saved from that intervention which would have happened well before we saw the attack on Libya,” said Mr Charamba.

The need for the UN agencies to reform was laid bare extensively by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga in his book, titled “Goose or Gander: The United Nations Security Council and the Ethic of Double Standards”

The book chronicles how the United Nations Security Council led by the West abuse the veto power for self-serving interests, it justifies Zimbabwe’s no vote.