Parliamentary Committee Votes Unanimously to Support Zimbabwean Democracy

OTTAWA, Today Scott Reid, MP, the Chair of the Subcommittee on International Human rights, made public a resolution of the subcommittee expressing concern over the upcoming March 29, 2008, elections in Zimbabwe.

In a meeting of the committee last week, the following motion was unanimously adopted, with support from representatives of all political parties:

That the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development express its grave concern about the March 29, 2008, elections in Zimbabwe and the harassment of opposition parties and candidates, and call on the Government of Canada to take all reasonable measures, including the participation of election observers to promote free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.

Reid drew attention to the importance of this issue by relating what has happened to two Zimbabwean opposition MPs, with whom he has been paired over the past decade. “I’ve been paired with two courageous Zimbabwean MPs. One was murdered by the government, and the second was beaten and hospitalized. Canada simply can’t abandon people with this kind of courage, as they seek to bring democracy to their country,” Reid said.

Reid was relating the stories of:

• David Mpala, MP, who was kidnapped on 13 January 2002, stabbed in the abdomen and dumped 6 km away. He subsequently died of his injuries.

• Nelson Chamisa, MP for Kuwadzana and a spokesperson for the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who was severely beaten at Harare Airport last year while trying to board a flight to an international conference where he was to give a report on human rights.

Reid added: “The resolution passed by the committee on human rights shows that there is support from Canadians of all political parties for fair and democratic elections in Zimbabwe and for the right of all Zimbabweans to participate in the political process free of intimidation.”

For more information or to speak with Mr. Reid
Please call (613) 257-8130 or (613) 947-2277.

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