Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I am grateful to the Minister of State for his reply. However, I would like to hear a little more on the conversations with Zimbabwe's neighbours, particularly South Africa. Is the Irish Government satisfied with the role of the South African Government on the continuing position in Zimbabwe? What efforts did the Irish Government make to have election observers appointed for the recent elections there? In respect of elections in that part of Africa — the Minister of State referred to the South African community — does he agree that it is in the interests of the region to have election observers appointed at the early stages of elections given that 70% to 80% of election abuses, including fraud, occur in the registration process at the early stages? These are important issues.

My next question concerns the human rights activists who have been arrested in Zimbabwe. I previously asked a question about whether the president of the Human Rights Commission was free and about the Human Rights Watch report on the arrest and abuse of members of the opposition. Does the Minister agree — I would like an explicit answer on this — that human rights vindication and protection cannot be frustrated by a bogus assertion of the concept of sovereignty? In other words, human rights abuses in Zimbabwe are not confined to a concern of Robert Mugabe or his Government but are matters of concern for the international community.

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