Troika to discuss crisis

The Commonwealth troika meeting to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe on Monday has been criticised for extending an invitation to President Robert Mugabe, but excluding the opposition and civil society.

Mugabe has reportedly ignored an invitation to the Abuja, Nigeria, meeting of the troika - made up of Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and South African President Thabo Mbeki - who were charged with monitoring the crisis in Zimbabwe, and recommending appropriate action to the Commonwealth.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has slammed Mugabe's invitation as "fundamentally wrong" and "unlikely to contribute to the reduction of the crisis in our country".

That it was done "without extending the same invitation to the opposition and to civil society is extremely worrying", MDC secretary-general Welshman Ncube said in a statement this week.

Expelling Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth will be one option discussed when the troika meets. Howard said he was doubtful the troika, which he chairs, could convince Mugabe to cooperate with the rest of the Commonwealth, the Australian newspaper The Mercury reported.

Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth following March presidential elections which were marred by political violence and intimidation.

The poll returned Mugabe to power, but was widely condemned as not being free or fair. The Commonwealth, European Union and United States have refused to endorse the election.