THE COMMONWEALTH'S decision to suspend Zimbabwe comes as a surprise to all, and as a blow to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
The three-country panel asked to advise on the matter comprised Australia, Nigeria and South Africa. It was known that Australia would push for sanctions, but given the apparent eagerness of African governments to endorse the Zimbabwe poll, neither Nigeria nor South Africa was expected to back the move. Evidently, at least one of them did so. Nevertheless, carrot has been added to stick.
Nigeria and South Africa will press Zimbabwe into some form of reconciliation, though what form this might take is difficult to say. Emboldened by the Commonwealth's decision, Opposition Leader Morgan Tsvangirai is calling for fresh elections.
Therefore, he seems unlikely to want to join any prospective government of national unity.
To the extent the Commonwealth's move will raise the standard for future elections, it is a welcome action. Nowhere will it be welcomed more strongly than in Africa itself, where opposition politics has been given a fresh injection of life.
On the other hand, the important focus must be on the procedural details of the Zimbabwean election, and not its outcome. What Commonwealth leaders must press for is free and fair elections and not, as appears to be the desire of some Western governments, the removal of Mr. Mugabe.
In the end, a stable democracy is what Zimbabwe's neighbours, and the world, should seek, regardless of who is at the helm.
