Even more importantly, the Commonwealth Action Programme on the Harare Declaration envisaged situations in which a Commonwealth member country might fall foul of the Commonwealth and even withdraw from the Commonwealth. This was anticipated in the final clause of paragraph 3 of the Commonwealth Action Programme, which allows: …consideration of appropriate further bilateral and multilateral measures by all member states (e.g. limitation of government-to-government contacts; people-to-people measures; trade restrictions; and, in exceptional cases, suspension from the association), to reinforce the need for change in the event that the government concerned chooses to leave the Commonwealth and/or persists in violating the principles of the Harare Commonwealth Declaration even after two years. Thus it is clear that the Commonwealth provided for situations where the Commonwealth would continue action against a member country even if that country chose to leave the Commonwealth, as Zimbabwe has done, and South Africa did before. Zimbabwe’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth does not therefore foreclose any further engagement on the Zimbabwe Question by the Commonwealth. On the contrary, clause 3(viii) of the Commonwealth Action Plan specifically stipulates further action to be taken in the event of withdrawal. 5. The Commonwealth and Zimbabwe: Assessing the performance of the Zimbabwe government in restoring democracy Since its withdrawal from the Commonwealth nearly four years ago, there has been a steady deterioration in the political, economic, and social fabric of Zimbabwe. It is unnecessary to provide great detail in defense of this assertion, since there are a large number of reports that support this assertion [see Appendix 10]. All that which is outlined below is accepted and supported by both Zimbabwean and international commentators and human rights organisations. However, it is useful at the outset of this evaluation to lay out the indicators of the Zimbabwe Government’s performance with which the Commonwealth should be concerned. The Commonwealth Observer Group [COG] and CMAG made a number of recommendations that spoke to the heart of the Harare Declaration, and these were endorsed subsequently by the wider Commonwealth. Some of these indicators related to the political climate and the rule of law, whilst others related to the conduct of elections. These indicators are as relevant today as they were when made in 2003, and below a brief summary is undertaken. 1. There is an urgent need for there to be a cessation in the systematic use of violence in political campaigns, especially against the opposition party. To address this need, the political parties and the security authorities should jointly establish mechanisms and structures at central and district levels to co-ordinate and implement peace initiatives. 8