Blair and Howard comments at close of meeting

(5 Mar 2002) APTN 1. Zimbabwe's Foreign Minister arriving 2. Exterior of Conference venue 3. British Prime Minister Tony Blair walking in 4. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark walking in 5. Namibian President Sam Nujoma walking in Pool 6. Wide shot leaders at desk 7. South African President Thabo Mbeki 8. Ghana's president, John Kufuor 9. 2-shot - on left Deputy PM of Malaysia Abdullah Badawi and on right Maldives' President Maumoon Abdul Gayoon 10. Donald McKinnon, Secretary General of Commonwealth with John Howard, Australian Prime Minister 11. Pan across leaders at table APTN 12. McKinnon and Howard walking into news conference 13. Journalists POOL 14. SOUNDBITE: (English) John Howard, Australian Prime Minister: "This has been an important and challenging meeting. The issue of Zimbabwe was not easy. I do believe that we have provided a mechanism, a framework for dealing with that issue, that represents the consensus view within the Commonwealth. In the end an organisation such as this has got to find a mechanism that works." 15. Leaders at table 16. Set up shot of Blair 17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Tony Blair, British Prime Minister: "Well I think Helen Clark got it absolutely right when she said it was on the margins of acceptability but obviously what people have to remember is that you get these statements on the basis of unanimity so there's a tendency, I'm afraid, for the lowest common denominator to prevail. However, what we did do was secure the fact that there's now a mechanism in place, if the observer's report on Zimbabwe shows the election is unfair then action will follow." 18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Helen Clark, New Zealand Prime Minister: "I hope we don't have another CHOGM like this one, where, notwithstanding the evidence of a failure to observe the fundamental principles of the Commonwealth, a member state is still sitting around the table. I think the Commonwealth has to get its act together for the future." APTN 19. President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, walking retreat 20. Journalists at news conference 21. SOUNDBITE: (English) President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa: "My greatest satisfaction is that, in the face of this bombardment for an alliance against Mugabe, allegedly on racial grounds, we have been able to withstand that bombardment. We emerged, really, as a united Commonwealth, not divided on the basis of race." POOL 22. Leaders' cars leaving with flags of Commonwealth in background STORYLINE: Commonwealth leaders on Tuesday wrapped up a four-day summit overshadowed by deep divisions over election violence in Zimbabwe with a statement reaffirming their commitment to good governance and democracy. But a compromise deal to delay taking action over escalating violence in Zimbabwe failed to heal rifts within the organisation, leaders said. Others insisted the debate had strengthened the diverse 54-nation group. A defiant bloc of African nations, Malaysia and some Caribbean states on Monday resisted concerted efforts by Britain, Australia and New Zealand to have Zimbabwe immediately suspended from the 54-nation group. Britain and New Zealand criticized the decision. Leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on Monday agreed to await a report by 64 Commonwealth election monitors on whether the coming weekend's presidential election is free and fair. Suspending Zimbabwe would cut it off from Commonwealth aid. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...