What has happened in Zimbabwe is a tragedy imposed on this once prosperous land by Robert Mugabe

Jack Straw

The move came after President Robert Mugabe won his fifth election victory amid accusations of intimidation and rigging.

In a Commons' statement Mr Straw said: "What has happened in Zimbabwe is a tragedy imposed on this once prosperous land by Robert Mugabe."

The foreign secretary was challenged over the speed of British response to Mr Mugabe's conduct in recent months by his Conservative opposite number Michael Ancram.

"The time has come for the government to stop talking and start doing," he said.

But Mr Straw pointed out that the decision to suspend Zimbabwe came alongside targeted EU sanctions, and sanctions from Switzerland and the US.

"Suspension is one of the strongest measures the Commonwealth can impose," he said.

"In the past countries have only been suspended after the violent overthrow of their elected governments - Zimbabwe's suspension is therefore a new departure."

Troika of leaders

For the Liberal Democrats, Menzies Campbell said it was disappointing that the Commonwealth had even had to get to the point of suspending Zimbabwe and that its moral authority had been ignored by Mr Mugabe.

In his statement Mr Straw said that restoring respect for law and order was the "only way back for Zimbabwe".

"We shall do all we can to support [the South African and Nigerian] Presidents Mbeki and Obasanjo, and other African partners, in their efforts to bring stability back to Zimbabwe."

The move to suspend Zimbabwe came earlier this week following a meeting between the leaders of South Africa, Australia and Nigeria in London.

Mr Straw resisted calls from the Tories to press for Zimbabwe's exclusion from the Commonwealth Games.

It was a matter for the Commonwealth Games Federation, he said.

They had been charged with deciding the Commonwealth's reaction to the elections in Zimbabwe, he said.

The conduct of the election has been criticised

Mr Ancram has already called for a new round of elections in the troubled African country.

He said that given the way the result was achieved it was important that the Commonwealth made it clear it was not prepared to accept a regime "which rode roughshod over all the principles of democracy on which the Commonwealth was founded".

"I think it's important to realise that this was a test for the Commonwealth and I would now like to see the EU strengthen its stance on sanctions on Zimbabwe," he said on Tuesday.

Mr Straw said that it was down to Mr Mugabe to show he was determined to follow a path of reconciliation after his failure to uphold the rule of law and abide by standards he had previously signed up to.

But he added that it was "against expectation" that Zimbabwe's president would do so.