Commonwealth foreign ministers rejected British-led calls today for Zimbabwe's suspension from the organisation as Harare arrested three journalists for protesting against a tough new media bill.
The eight-member Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, the organisation's democracy watchdog, called instead for the immediate deployment of election observers for Zimbabwe's presidential elections on March 9th and 10th.
"The issue that is on the table at the moment is to ensure that we have free and fair elections," CMAG chairman Mr Mompati Merafhe, Botswana's foreign minister, told a news conference after the day-long talks in London.
The Commonwealth decision came hours after three reporters were arrested outside Zimbabwe's parliament when riot police broke up a media protest against new legislation which was revised today but still seeks to impose tight controls on local and foreign media.
Critics say the measure aims to suppress criticism of President Mr Robert Mugabe in the run-up to the March elections in which he faces the strongest threat to his 22-year rule.
The draft bill is part of a raft of legislation that has drawn international condemnation, including the threat of European Union sanctions.
The Commonwealth move was a rebuff to British Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw, who had sought Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth's main decision-making bodies and a recommendation from the ministers for its complete suspension at a March 2nd-5th Commonwealth summit in Australia.