tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711557.post115867956551592124..comments2024-03-24T20:40:46.666-04:00Comments on Pan-African News Wire: President Mugabe of Zimbabwe Attends United Nations General Assembly in New YorkPan-African News Wirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958190577776906688noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16711557.post-1158762108864311652006-09-20T10:21:00.000-04:002006-09-20T10:21:00.000-04:00President blasts ‘stupid democracy’From Itai Musen...President blasts ‘stupid democracy’<BR/><BR/>From Itai Musengeyi in HAVANA, Cuba<BR/><BR/>THE Non-Aligned Movement should reject the unilateral actions of some world powers which impose illegal sanctions or attack other countries in disregard of international law, President Mugabe has said.<BR/><BR/>Addressing the 14th NAM summit here, Sept. 16, Cde Mugabe said several NAM member states, including Zimbabwe, have been slapped with unilateral sanctions while others like Iraq and Lebanon have suffered from illegal attacks by some Western powers and their allies.<BR/><BR/>"My strong appeal is that we take a stand to fight against these rampant acts of aggression affecting our countries and peoples," President Mugabe said.<BR/><BR/>Zimbabwe was slapped with illegal economic sanctions by Britain, the United States and their Western allies after it embarked on the land reform programme in 2000.<BR/><BR/>Cde Mugabe said the threat of international terrorism was worrying and required the international community to co-operate to combat the scourge.<BR/><BR/>He said the growth of state terrorism was also disturbing in the wake of a unipolar world.<BR/><BR/>"Our small states now live in fear as daily threats emanate from the West to attack or undermine our systems in order to bring about regime change.<BR/><BR/>"The phenomenon of national sovereignty and the exclusive political rights of our people to vote for governments of their own choice is being undermined. <BR/><BR/>"Democracy has now become the right of a superpower to change governments. My country has rejected this stupid belligerent notion and will resist any attempt to realise it. However, this summit must condemn this dangerous and adventurous tendency of Western powers led by the United States and Britain," he said. <BR/><BR/>Cde Mugabe said NAM faced new situations which required the grouping to uphold and defend its own purposes and principles, those of the UN and international law for a peaceful, prosperous, just and equitable world.<BR/><BR/>President Mugabe told delegates at the NAM summit that it was imperative that the movement should improve its cohesion, unity and solidarity to make a difference.<BR/><BR/>He said the grouping must adapt to the changing international arena to remain relevant.<BR/><BR/>NAM was supposed to ensure that the United Nations was the pivot of multi-lateralism and its strength in facing the challenges of the 21st century lay in its ability to defend this principle, he said.<BR/><BR/>Cde Mugabe said development, which must be viewed as a human right, must be at the centre of the UN agenda. <BR/><BR/>A lot had been said in the past three decades about supporting development efforts in Third World countries, but the developed countries were not committing enough resources towards achieving this.<BR/><BR/>President Mugabe said momentum generated in the past two years for the reform of the UN Security Council had not produced tangible results.<BR/><BR/>He said NAM should press for a Security Council that is democratic and representative while pushing for the expansion of the key arm of the UN in both its permanent and non-permanent categories.<BR/><BR/>"Furthermore, we should guard against attempts to create two or more tiers of member states in the permanent category. If the veto cannot be abolished, then it should be extended to all permanent members," said President Mugabe.<BR/><BR/>The birth of a new UN Human Rights Council was welcome following the tainted performance of the old Human Rights Commission, said Cde Mugabe.<BR/><BR/>He said there should be no politicisation, selectivity and double standards in the work of the new council.<BR/><BR/>"Already we witness a defiance of this same Human Rights Council by those states which disregard its resolution due to their perennial protection by the powerful."<BR/><BR/>The President also urged developed countries to do more on debt relief as the overall external debt of developing countries continued to rise.<BR/><BR/>Co-ordinated approaches to external debt and debt servicing, including outright forgiveness, would create a fair and just multilateral trading system.<BR/><BR/>Cde Mugabe said globalisation and trade liberalisation had produced uneven benefits among and within states.<BR/><BR/>The global economy was slow and lopsided in growth, resulting in economic instability which hurts developing countries.<BR/><BR/>"NAM should call for international economic development characterised by greater coherence between the international monetary and financial systems. Furthermore we should continue to call for the creation of a universal, rule-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system."<BR/><BR/>President Mugabe said NAM and the G77 and China should work to break the current impasse on international trade negotiations which have stalled the Doha talks.<BR/><BR/>Those responsible for the impasse — the Western economic powers — should remove their unfair domestic agricultural subsidies, he said.<BR/><BR/>Cde Mugabe said NAM should support and reinvigorate South-South co-operation to break dependence which characterises trade and economic relations between the developed and developing countries.<BR/><BR/>He said Zimbabwe had adopted a "Look East" policy that has seen it enhance economic relations with China, the Eastern tigers, India, Pakistan and the Middle East.<BR/><BR/>Cde Mugabe said the critical economic situation in Africa — the least developed and marginalised of all regions — had to be addressed if global economic growth and interdependence was to have meaning.Pan-African News Wirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10958190577776906688noreply@blogger.com