admin
Felex Share Herald Reporter
BRITAIN has been accused of abusing the European Union in a bid to stir a diplomatic row between Harare and Brussels to maintain the bloc’s interest in London’s purely bilateral dispute with Harare, senior diplomats and political analysts have said. There is division in the EU over maintaining the sanctions regime, with Belgium last week calling for the lifting of sanctions on diamond mining firms in the wake of the widely- endorsed harmonised elections.
This, analysts said, had put Britain in a dilemma, forcing it to abuse the 27-member bloc in a bid to sustain group solidarity against Zimbabwe.
While Britain and its dominions of Australia and Canada have refused to endorse the harmonised elections, the EU was still to pronounce itself with its ambassador Mr Aldo Dell’Ariccia’s presence at President Mugabe’s inauguration a strong indicator of the bloc’s thinking on the elections.
Belgium’s foreign ministry spokesman, Mr Hendrik van de Velde, said as much as he called for the lifting of sanctions on diamond companies.
Last week, Mr Dell’Ariccia, sparked outrage after requesting a meeting with the country’s Constitutional and Electoral Court judges with a Western diplomat and political observers saying the envoy should save face by packing his bags.
The diplomat said the Government should summon Mr Dell’Ariccia as he had contravened the Vienna Conventions of 1961, that governs the conduct of diplomats in foreign countries.
Under Article 41 (1) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961, “all persons enjoying privileges and immunities must respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State and they have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State.”
The same section states that “all business with the receiving State entrusted to the mission by the sending State shall be conducted with or through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the receiving State or such other State as may be agreed.”
The diplomat — who preferred anonymity for professional reasons — said it would be surprising if the Zimbabwean Government did not summon Ambassador Dell’Ariccia or take up the matter with the EU.
“It sounds unusual but if it is true that the EU ambassador indeed approached the Constitutional and Electoral courts through the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to discuss election petitions pending before the same courts, then it is a clear and fragment violation of the Vienna Convention that governs our conduct.”
“If the ambassador had genuine concerns that required clarification, the normal thing to do was to use the diplomatic channel through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“His failure to do that raises questions and it would not be surprising to see him being summoned by the authorities and Zimbabwe taking up the matter with the EU.”
Ambassador Dell’Ariccia wrote to Chief Registrar Mr Walter Chikwanha, requesting that he facilitates a meeting between members of the Constitutional and Electoral Courts and an EU delegation.
The diplomat cited September 3, 4 and 6 this year as the dates when the delegation was to be available for the meeting and provided a list of his delegation that included two “consultants” Mr Armin Rabitsch an election expert from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and Ms Gaelle Deriaz, a legal expert from France.
Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku directed Mr Chikwanha to turn down the request.
At the same time, another EU delegation, led by Mr Giles Entikap, met Zanu-PF secretary for legal affairs Cde Patrick Chinamasa, disguised as experts on electoral issues before finally asking the outgoing Justice and Legal Affairs Minister to clear a meeting of the group with Constitutional and Electoral judges.
Cde Chinamasa told them off.
Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa said the whole saga smacked of “egregious” British interference in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe.
He said Ambassador Del’Ariccia could have written the letter after being influenced by Britain.
“The British as usual are trying to bully Zimbabwe by abusing their own colleagues in the EU,” he said.
“Del’Ariccia is simply a victim of this egregious behaviour by the Bronnert who is trying to manipulate the EU. They want the EU to pursue the bilateral quarrel between Britain and Zimbabwe but just like Russian President Vladimir Putin said they are a small island that no-one listens to.”
Ambassador Mutsvangwa said the British were gradually becoming desperate after the heavy defeat of the MDC – T during the harmonised elections.
“They are now seeking the comfort and in doing that they are abusing the EU,” he said.
“Del’Ariccia is so proper in diplomacy and one actually sees that the letter was written by London under the cover of EU. Britain is becoming more and more isolated that is the reason why you saw Belgium calling for the lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe and very soon no one will listen to Bronnert and the British.”
Political scientist Professor Jonathan Moyo, said Ambassador Dell’Ariccia did not deserve to be in the country.
“This does not only expose them as hypocrites but charlatans because you will not find an example of judiciary interference like that anywhere in the world,” he said.
“Under normal circumstances and in any other country ambassadors like him would be sent back because he does not deserve to be a diplomat. To make matters worse, he was not asking to discuss the election petitions with officials from his office alone but there were two suspicious characters described as consultants.”
Prof Moyo said it was now clear that the EU was sponsoring the MDC-T election petitions.
“One will realise that the ambassador gets the audacity to do such things because the EU and other Anglo-Saxon Governments are funding the petitions, paying the legal fees like they did for the elections and lost,” he said.
“Just like Ms Deborah Bronnert (British Ambassador to Zimbabwe), who made unsubstantiated claims on assisted voters during the elections, the matter needs to be treated seriously because these guys are not litigants neither are they legal practitioners for the MDC-T. They had a dirty hand in our politics and now they have extended to the judiciary and we say enough is enough Government should summon him.”
University of Zimbabwe political scientist Dr Charity Manyeruke, said Ambassador Dell’Ariccia had overstepped his mandate by trying to be an MDC-T lawyer.
“He is going beyond of what he is expected to do,” she said.
“He is here for the relations of the EU and Zimbabwe but if he wants to be a politician then he must pack and go. It is erroneous on his part and the EU should also take action because diplomats should communicate through diplomatic platforms.”
A lecturer in the Department of Peace and Governance at the Bindura University of Science Education, Mr Bowden Mbanje, said EU ambassador was undermining the country’s institutions.
“He is undermining the third arm of Government, the judiciary yet he is a mere ambassador. It is not their duty to represent the MDC-T and something should be done to this kind of behaviour.”
Another analyst, Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri of Midlands State University, said the EU wanted to distort the country’s institutions from an obtuse angle.
“They once said we are Stateless but now recognising that we have institutions but we do not accept this kind of recognition because it is all about pervasion and subversion. They are now stooping so low by their actions.”
Online Reporter