The Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe from the 54-nation grouping today over President Robert Mugabe's controversial victory in elections that the West condemned but the country's African neighbours had approved.
The committee has decided to suspend Zimbabwe from the councils of the Commonwealth for a period of one year with immediate effect, Australian Prime Minister Mr John Howard told a news briefing.
This issue will be revisited in 12 months' time having regard to progress in Zimbabwe based on the Commonwealth Harare principles and reports from the Commonwealth Secretary General.
The decision came after Presidents Mr Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Mr Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria met Mr Howard at the London headquarters of the Commonwealth, which groups mainly former British colonies.
The re-election last week of Mr Mugabe had split the Commonwealth down racial lines and been seen as a test of the group's viability.
While Western states condemned the vote as blatantly fraudulent, African leaders displayed a traditional reluctance to criticise their neighbour Zimbabwe openly.
The ethnic division has been made even more volatile by charges of closet colonialism and simmering resentment over heavy historical debts.
The three leaders' options had ranged from protesting at the conduct of the elections, which were marred by violence, to suspension of Zimbabwe from the group.
While Mr Howard had called for immediate suspension, Mr Mbeki and Mr Obasanjo, who are trying to broker a power-sharing compromise between Mr Mugabe and Zimbabwean opposition leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, were believed to be against any precipitate action.
Today Mr Tsvangirai, who has been charged with treason for allegedly plotting to assassinate Mr Mugabe, flatly ruled out any power sharing deal with him or his ZANU-PF government.