E&OE
23 June 2008
Interview - ABC Radio AM
TONY EASTLEY: The Federal
Government is very disappointed Morgan Tsvangirai has withdrawn
from the presidential run-off but the Foreign Affairs Minister,
Stephen Smith, says he agrees with Mr Tsvangirai that he had no
choice.
Stephen Smith told Alexandra Kirk the Federal Government is now
considering imposing more sanctions on Zimbabwe.
STEPHEN SMITH: We are obviously disappointed that
we won't see a full and free and fair election. But I
think what it does do now is places maximum pressure on the
South African Development Community states and the African
Union to now put considerable pressure on Mr Mugabe to try and
get an outcome where the will of the Zimbabwe people is
respected.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Are you concerned that Morgan
Tsvangirai's withdrawal will legitimise the Mugabe regime?
SMITH: Well, it can't legitimise the
brutal Mugabe regime. Mr Tsvangirai's …
KIRK: But in terms of the presidential
election?
SMITH: I don't think on any analysis here
can we conclude anything other than a brutal regime seeking to
in the first round steal an election by rorting the count and
in the second round stealing it by violence and Mr Tsvangirai
has come to the conclusion, he can't overcome the violence.
The violence now needs to be overcome by the African and the
international community.
KIRK: Is there any chance, do you think, that
the election could be cancelled in favour of talks to form a
government of national unity which South African President
Thabo Mbeki has reportedly sought?
SMITH: Well, Mr Mbeki has been raising
this point in recent days and weeks and continues to do so.
That is one possibility in terms of bringing the international
and the African community together to seek to get an outcome
where the will of the Zimbabwe people may be respected.
KIRK: The European Union has agreed to step up
measures against more than 100 of Mr Mugabe's regime. Is
Australia considering further sanctions?
SMITH: Well, we already have sanctions and
I have made it clear that we are open to consider more
sanctions.
KIRK: Is it time to do that now?
SMITH: We are in the process of doing
that. We are currently giving active consideration to that
issue.
KIRK: What sort of sanctions?
SMITH: Well, currently we have financial
and travel sanctions. We are looking at whether we can enhance
any of those and whether there are sanctions that we can bring
to bear in other areas.
KIRK: If we could shift focus to another
troubled part of the world, there is a report today that the
Federal Government is considering sending Australian
counter-terrorism experts to Pakistan to slow the spread of
Islamic extremism and also stem the flow of insurgents into
Afghanistan. How far advanced is that plan?
SMITH: Well, I wouldn't have people
getting too far ahead of themselves here. We are giving
consideration to what we can do in terms of a dialogue with the
Pakistan Government to address this issue. But we are in the
very formative stage so I wouldn't be rushing ahead of
ourselves here.
KIRK: Is Pakistan positively disposed to this
idea?
SMITH: Well, I had a conversation with the
Pakistan Foreign Minister in Paris at the donors' conference.
It is clearly an issue that Pakistan knows it has to seize and
Pakistan knows is of acute interest to the international
community.
TONY EASTLEY: The Foreign Affairs
Minister, Stephen Smith speaking there with Alexandra Kirk in
Canberra
EASTLEY: The Federal
Government is very disappointed Morgan Tsvangirai has withdrawn
from the presidential run-off but the Foreign Affairs Minister,
Stephen Smith, says he agrees with Mr Tsvangirai that he had no
choice.
Stephen Smith told Alexandra Kirk the Federal Government is now
considering imposing more sanctions on Zimbabwe.
SMITH: We are obviously disappointed that
we won't see a full and free and fair election. But I
think what it does do now is places maximum pressure on the
South African Development Community states and the African
Union to now put considerable pressure on Mr Mugabe to try and
get an outcome where the will of the Zimbabwe people is
respected.
KIRK: Are you concerned that Morgan
Tsvangirai's withdrawal will legitimise the Mugabe regime?
SMITH: Well, it can't legitimise the
brutal Mugabe regime. Mr Tsvangirai's …
KIRK: But in terms of the presidential
election?
SMITH: I don't think on any analysis here
can we conclude anything other than a brutal regime seeking to
in the first round steal an election by rorting the count and
in the second round stealing it by violence and Mr Tsvangirai
has come to the conclusion, he can't overcome the violence.
The violence now needs to be overcome by the African and the
international community.
KIRK: Is there any chance, do you think, that
the election could be cancelled in favour of talks to form a
government of national unity which South African President
Thabo Mbeki has reportedly sought?
SMITH: Well, Mr Mbeki has been raising
this point in recent days and weeks and continues to do so.
That is one possibility in terms of bringing the international
and the African community together to seek to get an outcome
where the will of the Zimbabwe people may be respected.
KIRK: The European Union has agreed to step up
measures against more than 100 of Mr Mugabe's regime. Is
Australia considering further sanctions?
SMITH: Well, we already have sanctions and
I have made it clear that we are open to consider more
sanctions.
KIRK: Is it time to do that now?
SMITH: We are in the process of doing
that. We are currently giving active consideration to that
issue.
KIRK: What sort of sanctions?
SMITH: Well, currently we have financial
and travel sanctions. We are looking at whether we can enhance
any of those and whether there are sanctions that we can bring
to bear in other areas.
KIRK: If we could shift focus to another
troubled part of the world, there is a report today that the
Federal Government is considering sending Australian
counter-terrorism experts to Pakistan to slow the spread of
Islamic extremism and also stem the flow of insurgents into
Afghanistan. How far advanced is that plan?
SMITH: Well, I wouldn't have people
getting too far ahead of themselves here. We are giving
consideration to what we can do in terms of a dialogue with the
Pakistan Government to address this issue. But we are in the
very formative stage so I wouldn't be rushing ahead of
ourselves here.
KIRK: Is Pakistan positively disposed to this
idea?
SMITH: Well, I had a conversation with the
Pakistan Foreign Minister in Paris at the donors' conference.
It is clearly an issue that Pakistan knows it has to seize and
Pakistan knows is of acute interest to the international
community.
EASTLEY: The Foreign Affairs
Minister, Stephen Smith speaking there with Alexandra Kirk in
Canberra.
Media Inquiries: Foreign Minister's office (02) 6277 7500