and preparations for holding free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.’9 Two months before this, a Friends of Zimbabwe meeting held in London attended by several EU members, the US, Canada, Japan and Australia as well as the parties to the GPA, also issued a statement of encouragement on the success of the referendum. The statement welcomed and supported SADC’s lead role as guarantor of the GPA, noted the ‘breakthrough of the constitutional referendum’ and reemphasized Western support to SADC ‘in their efforts to facilitate the GPA and the roadmap for elections.’10 In May 2013, a ‘Quick Policy Insight’ paper from the European Parliament reached out further to SADC and to the GPA parties, providing a critical perspective on both Zanu PF and the MDC and stressing the need for building stronger political institutions. The statement read: Government turnover does not guarantee democratic change in Zimbabwe. Zanu PF lacks democratic roots; but the MDC has, for its part, done little to prove its trustworthiness. Rather than asking who is in power, international analysts might want to put a stronger focus on how to actually improve Zimbabwe’s political culture and institutions.11 In addition the document warned that: …..foreign actors need to be aware of the high degree of suspicion prevalent in Zimbabwe. The international community should act with great care to avoid unintentionally causing a counterproductive backlash.12 In addition to these overtures the Danish Government had, in March 2013, stated that its position towards Zimbabwe was that ‘the risks of not engaging in the current crucial transition process is greater than the risk of engaging.’13 The IMF for its part had in June of this year approved a Staff‐Monitored Programme for Zimbabwe covering the period April‐ December 2013, in which it would support the Zimbabwean authorities’ ‘comprehensive                                                              Dialogue, His Excellency, President of the Republic of South Africa, President Jacob Zuma, to the SADC Organ Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. Pretoria, South Africa, 9 March 2013. 10 Friends of Zimbabwe Communiqué, London, 26 March 2013. The delegations to the meeting included: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, the EU, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, the US. 11 European Parliament, Director‐ General for External Policies, “Zimbabwe’s 2013 general elections: A genuine wind of change?” DG EXPO/B/Pol Dep/Note/ 2013. 28 May 2013. 12 Ibid. 13 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark, DANIDA, “Denmark‐Zimbabwe Partnership Policy 2013‐2015,” March 2013.   10