MEPs split over Cox stance on Zimbabwe ban

Date: 28/11/02

By David Cronin

MEPS are divided over whether Pat Cox, the European Parliament president, was right to trigger the cancellation of this week's talks in Brussels with some of the world's poorest states by barring two Zimbabwean ministers.

The meeting at the European Parliament, between MEPs and their counterparts from the 78-strong African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) bloc, was scheduled to run for four days from Monday (25 November).

But ACP delegations boycotted the event in protest at Cox's decision to ban Paul Mangwana and Christopher Kuruneri from attending.

Belgium had granted the pair visas, even though they appear on a list of politicians barred from entering the EU because of Zimbabwe's poor human rights record.

Socialist MEP Glenys Kinnock, chair of the EU-ACP joint parliamentary assembly, backed Cox, saying his decision was in line with a resolution adopted by the Parliament in September.

'It was a clear act of provocation by Zimbabwe to include in their delegation two ministers who are on the EU's travel ban list,' she added.

But Green deputies Paul Lannoye and Caroline Lucas accused some MEPs of having a 'colonialist attitude' towards ACP states.

Paul Mangwana, minister in charge of state-run companies, praised ACP states for backing him. 'Even though there have been threats of withdrawal of aid, Third World and African countries have stood with Zimbabwe for the sake of African integrity and pride,' he said.

Yet the opposition Movement for Democratic Change hailed Cox's stance as a victory for democracy and a refusal to be intimidated by African solidarity.

MEPs are divided over whether Pat Cox, the European Parliament president, was right to trigger the cancellation of talks in Brussels with some of the world's poorest states by barring two Zimbabwean ministers. The talks were due to start on 25 November 2002.