Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I congratulate Deputy Micheál Martin on his appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and wish him success. I also pay tribute to my neighbour, Deputy Dermot Ahern, for the excellent work he did as Minister for Foreign Affairs.

When I was growing up there was a world war in Europe which killed 60 million people. When I look at the problems around the world today I am reminded of how Europe was able to settle its difficulties, having devastated itself for 1,000 years. We now have the European Union of 27 member states, only seven of which have a long history of democracy. Today the European Union — while I recognise that the record in Africa was not great — is committed to peace, democracy and the rule of law.

It is always very sad to see trouble spots around the world and Zimbabwe is a case in point. It is sad to think Zimbabwe was one of the most successful countries in Africa a generation ago but suddenly has gone into decline. The reason for that decline is President Mugabe and the destructive policies of the regime he has led. Life expectancy is 34 years, the lowest in the world, and 2,500 people per week die from AIDS. Some 4 million people have fled the country and inflation is running at over 100,000%. The World Food Programme feeds 3 million people there. In addition, there is torture, repression, violence, intimidation, evictions and executions in every province in Zimbabwe.

This morning, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Martin, referred to the fact that people who have been brutalised are not allowed medical care so it is a very serious situation. Chris McGreal, a correspondent with The Guardian, wrote on 10 April:

The patients at Louisa Guidotti hospital said there were eight men, one carrying a shotgun, another with an AK-47, others with pistols, and they went from bed to bed forcing out anyone who could walk.

Nurses were dragged away from the sick. Motorists driving by the hospital, 87 miles north east of Harare, were stopped and taken from their cars.

About 70 people were gathered in the grounds. Then the lecture began. "This is your last chance," said one of the armed men. "You messed up when you voted. Next time you vote you must get it right or you will die."

Later in the article, he writes how the men said they would make an example of anyone supporting MDC, the opposition party, and asked the people to point out who they were, but no one did. Mugabe, he writes, has unleashed Zanu-PF militia shock troops. Davidson Maruziva, editor of The Standard, was arrested on 20 April for publishing an article by one of the breakaway MDC groups and this is totally unacceptable to anybody who lives in a democracy. Human rights are fundamental and we must all stand up at all times to champion them.

The recent elections in Zimbabwe have precipitated a further crisis. The violence and intimidation that helped deliver perverted election victories to Zanu-PF three and six years ago were absent from the presidential and parliamentary ballot on 29 March, which Mugabe lost. Now those practices appear to be returning with a vengeance. There are concerns about people voting who might not have been entitled to vote, people who did not vote because they were not on the register, their names having been removed, and people who had fled the country. That leads to some suspicion.

The democratic rights of people must always be respected, particularly at election time. If people go out to vote, and they queued for many hours to exercise that right in Zimbabwe, they are entitled to the result so it is appalling that the result of the presidential election has not yet been announced. I happened to be in South Africa in 1994 for the first democratic election. It was run in an excellent fashion and despite all the difficulties such as the lack of an electoral register and the fact that people had no identification, the election was very successful and brought about the result for which the people wished. It is unfortunate we do not see the same in Zimbabwe. Good governance is essential for democracy, to show respect for the people and ensure there is a proper standard of living and people do not live on subsistence, as they do in Zimbabwe as a direct result of mismanagement of the economy by Government.

We want an immediate end to repression, freedom of movement for observers and the media and a fair and free election process. Most influence rests with the African countries. President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa has an important role to play. The South Africans recognised there is a crisis. It is to the credit of the South African dockers that they refused to unload arms from the Chinese ship An Yue Jiang. It is important that every country in the world uses its influence to stop the export of arms, not just to Zimbabwe but to anywhere there is trouble and they are likely to be used in a civil war. The Southern African Development Community has a role to play, as has the African Union.

The motion commends the Government's efforts to move forward in finding a solution. Ireland has never been a coloniser. On the contrary, we have a long association with Africa, particularly through the work of the missionaries for over 100 years and the work of Irish Aid. The immediate concern is a satisfactory outcome to the election. I would like to see observers from Europe present. Hopefully there will be a change of regime and then we must all work together to end poverty, improve health services, provide further education and rebuild Zimbabwe's economy. There is a major role for all the countries of the world, particularly the developed countries, the World Bank, the UN and the EU. No doubt Ireland will play its role. I am delighted we have a united voice in this House in condemning what is happening in Zimbabwe and calling for a return to the democratic process.

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