C'wealth Will Sanction Zimbabwe If... -JAK

Ghanaian President, Mr. John Kuffour yesterday stated that the Commonwealth might consider sanctions against Zimbabwe if reports of international monitors in this weekend's presidential election in the Southern Africa country indicate that the process is marred by malpractices.

Kuffour who arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, yesterday night enroute Abuja for today's ceremony in which late frontline politician, Alhaji Shehu Musa Yar' Adua will be honoured, told journalists that Commonwealth monitors as well as other international observers were already in Zimbabwe for the election.

"There are observers from the Commonwealth as well as other international bodies to monitor the election. If the observers find that the election was marred, they report to the Commonwealth and we will avail ourselves of a trigger mechanism. Through that, the Commonwealth will move to sanction the Zimbawean government. I want to leave my opinion at that for now", the Ghanaian leader said.

He admonished African leaders to obey and follow the constitution of their countries, stating that the constitution in his own country stipulated a maximum of two terms for the president.

"If you have two terms which the constitution stipulates, after that you should go. I do not know the Zimbabwean Constitution, whether it is an open-ended constitution that will allow somebody to go on and on.

"When you have served a specific number of terms and do not want to go, then you are violating the constitution you swore to uphold and it must be dealt with.

"These were some of the issues raised at the Commonwealth meeting that the election process is on-going. The Common-wealth alongside other international organisations has advised the President and people of Zimbabwe to try to give themselves a free and fair election", Kuffour said.