The 2002 CHOGM was delayed in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States , but Zimbabwe was still top of the agenda . On 4 March 2002 the CHOGM statement issued at Coolum , Australia implicitly rejected calls by the United Kingdom , Australia and New Zealand for punitive action to be taken against Zimbabwe for alleged violence and intimidation surrounding the Presidential Election Campaign . CHOGM , instead , " expressed their deep concern " , and called on all parties to work together " to create an atmosphere in which there could be a free and fair election " . CHOGM also “ noted that a Commonwealth Observer Group would report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General immediately after the Zimbabwe presidential election of 9 – 10 March 2002 ” and confirmed their agreement to : Shortly after the presidential election had concluded , the Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group was submitted to the Troika . Even the Government of Zimbabwe concedes that its conclusions were “ adverse ” . On 19 March 2002 the Troika , being the competent Commonwealth body , suspended Zimbabwe for a 12-month period . The Zimbabwe government disputes that there were legitimate grounds for its suspension . Zimbabwe considers that the CHOGM statement only permitted the Troika to go beyond an expression of collective disapproval if something adverse was reported on in the Commonwealth Observer Group Report pertaining to the period after the CHOGM statement issued and ending at the time when the voting in the election ended ( 7 days in total ) . The Zimbabwe government considers that although adverse findings were contained in the Report , none of them related to that period and therefore the Troika did not have competence to suspend it from the Commonwealth
2002 CHOGM
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2002
Zimbabwe and the Commonwealth of Nations