'Racial' split on Zimbabwe

COOLUM, Australia (CNN) -- Commonwealth leaders have split along broadly racial lines over taking action against Zimbawe for reported erosion of democracy ahead of the nation's general election next week.

Zimbabwe delegate Jonathan Moyo told media Sunday that nations such as Australia, Canada, Britain and New Zealand were running a racist agenda at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting being held in the Australian resort town in Coolum.

Britain and Australia in particular are pushing for the meeting to adopt some form of sanctions against Zimbabwe -- including possible suspension from the Commonwealth -- for what they allege is the use of intimidation, vote-rigging and political suppression in the African nation.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has even gone so far as to suggest that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe would simply not allow main Opposition leader

Morgan Tsvangirai to take power, even if Tsvangirai won the election.

Commonwealth leaders have been discussing the Zimbabwe issue in a private retreat Sunday, but are believed to split on what, if any, action to take.

Accusations

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African states in particular are opposed to the Commonwealth taking any action until after the election is held and election observers have had a chance to report on the legitimacy of the vote.

Moyo accused Britain and Australia of trying to hijack the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) discussions of Zimbabwe and said the African nations in the Commonwealth were prepared to "send a clear message to their former colonial masters'' on the issue.

Moyo said Britain and Australia did not like the Mugabe government's moves on land-ownership because they "don't want to see social justice in Zimbabwe".

"It is racism … They want to deepen inequality in Zimbabwe," he said.

He accused the British Prime Minister Tony Blair of interfering in Zimbabwe's affairs, saying Blair's Labor Party was funding Tsvangirai's campaign.

'Shut up'

Blair earlier Sunday suggested Mugabe was using intimidation and violence in the election campaign because he was afraid of losing.

"The violence, the intimidation, why is he doing this if he is so secure in the support of the people of Zimbabwe?" Blair said on Australian television.

Moyo responded by saying Blair should "shut-up". "He makes a bad foreign minister."

"What we do in Zimbabwe is in accordance with our law and our constitution," Moyo said.

"The people of Zimbabwe will decide what happens, not outsiders ... We will accept the verdict of the people of Zimbabwe."

'Toothless tiger'

While the Commonwealth leaders have yet to decide a course of action on Zimbabwe, it is believed that no recommendations will made at this CHOGM, with delegates preferring to postpone any actions until after the election is completed.

CHOGM spokesman Joel Kibazo told media Sunday that the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien had submitted a paper to the leaders on Zimbabwe which set out "conditions and a timetable for some things to happen" with regard to that nation.

Kibazo would not reveal any details of what that timetable for action might entail, saying the leaders were still discussing the paper.

The issue of Zimbabwe is a critical issue for the Commonwealth, which stands accused of being a "toothless tiger" on such controversial issues because of its diverse range of nations and its insistence on consensus decision-making.

The United States and the European Union have already imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe over its actions.