Media conference

Subjects: Zimbabwe

STEPHEN SMITH: Thanks for turning up. I just want to make some remarks about Zimbabwe, then I'm happy to answer your questions on that and any other issues.

Firstly, earlier this morning I spoke to our High Commissioner in Zimbabwe to get an assessment from the Australian perspective, of the things on the ground in Zimbabwe. I'm told that things are calm, tense, but calm. No indications at this stage of any violence which is very welcoming.

I think it's true to say that it is difficult to get a clear assessment of events as they are unfolding. Certainly you would experienced that, given the media access restrictions that we find in Zimbabwe. I think it's also the case that, not just our mission, but other missions, United States, United Kingdom, are also having difficulty getting a clear picture of events as they emerge. So I think it's important to monitor events as they unfold and to not get too far ahead of ourselves.

There are some things though that we can say I think with certainty. Firstly, it's quite clear that the Opposition has done very well. It's quite clear that Mr Tsvangirai, despite all the difficult circumstances of the election, has done very well. In the last count that I saw published by the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission, had 85 seats to the Opposition, 85 seats to Mr Mugabe's Zanu PF and half a dozen to others. I haven't yet seen, nor do I believe has anyone else, any published results by the Commission so far as the presidential ballot is concerned.

So we know that the Opposition Leader Mr Tsvangirai has done very well, and just on those figures the two-thirds majority that would enable, for example, Mr Mugabe to change the constitution, is no longer available.

The second thing we know is that everyone remains very concerned - very, very concerned that Mr Mugabe, by fair means or foul, may well try and steal this election and that's why we've been urging, in the last couple of days as I again do today, urging the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission to publish the results as quickly as possible. That will be of great assistance. Firstly, there will be a formal result published by the Commission, but secondly, it will enable people to make comparisons between the already publicly available and published results, polling station by polling station, which have been published by the Opposition Parties and also by non-government organisations in Zimbabwe.

Can I say that yesterday I took steps to put myself in the position of being able to speak to some of my colleague Foreign Ministers. Firstly, the South African Foreign Minister, the Zambian Foreign Minister and the Tanzanian Foreign Minister and also the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Mr Miliband. Late last night, Canberra time, I spoke to Mr Miliband. In the early hours of this morning I attempted to speak to the Foreign Minister for South Africa Dlamini Zuma, who was travelling in Sudan, but the communications problems made it difficult and we've arranged for that to occur later this evening. And I'll be speaking to the Tanzanian and Zambian Foreign Ministers later this evening as well.

I had a very good conversation with Mr Miliband and I advised him of a number of things. Firstly, there is a longstanding interest in Zimbabwe so far as Australia is concerned, and unfolding events in Zimbabwe are a matter of acute concern to the Australian Government and the Australian people.

Secondly, we want to see an orderly and peaceful outcome to the election. Thirdly, we want the election results to be verified and the will of the people respected. And fourthly, if there is a transition, if there is a transition to a new government, then the Australian Government will work closely and carefully with any new government which seeks to respect the will of the Zimbabwean people, but also wants to uplift the lives of Zimbabwean people. This is not something that can be said of the brutal Mugabe regime over the last couple of decades. And Mr Miliband and I had a very productive conversation. You'd of course be aware that Prime Minister Brown spoke to the South African Leader Mr Mbeki in the last couple of days.

The reason, of course, for making the phone calls was to again record Australia's interest, particularly to indicate to the African - my African colleagues, members of the South African Development Community that Australia has a keen interest in events unfolding in Zimbabwe and to make the point to them that we believe it's important that the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission publish the results as a matter of urgency and the will of the Zimbabwean people be respected.

Obviously, given that it's the early hours of the morning in Zimbabwe, more information coming to hand will take the course of the day, but I hope to be in a position to provide reasonably regular updates as events do unfold in the next couple of days.

I'm happy to respond to your questions on that.