Straw sets Mugabe a deadline

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw warned today that Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has "five days to make up his mind" over whether to ban British observers from monitoring the country's elections.

Mr Mugabe, who is facing international criticism because of the spiralling political thuggery and violence in the country, appeared to agree that the EU can send in a team by the weekend, as long as it has no British participants.

At tomorrow's meeting of the Commonwealth ministerial action group in London, Mr Straw will be pushing for Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth, and for the EU team to have unfettered access to the country.

But it remains uncertain whether the group, which includes countries friendly towards Mr Mugabe, will decide on an outright suspension.

A final decision will be taken at a meeting of Commonwealth heads of Government in Australia next month, days before the 10 March elections in Zimbabwe. Mr Straw said: "The patience of the EU is running out on that. Which observers go in is a matter for the EU. It is not a matter for Mugabe and it will give even further evidence of his bad faith if he tries to impose conditions."

Mr Straw said: "President Mugabe has five days to make up his mind - international observers or international sanctions, a fair election or face the penalty. He has a wellestablished track record for delaying tactics, but we have got no intention of playing games."