Mugabe's party sets tone for inter-party negotiations
Date 2009/11/14 9:54:41 | Topic: Afran
| HARARE, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has set the tone for inter-party negotiations with the two MDC factions as they seek to resolve outstanding issues in the country's Global Political Agreement (GPA).
The state controlled Herald newspaper on Friday gave an account of Mugabe's presentation at the heads of state summit of the SADC troika on politics, defense and security held in Maputo on Nov. 5,which gave details of the party's position on the outstanding issues.
The Maputo summit directed that the parties should sit within 15 days to resolve all issues still outstanding in the GPA.
Observers see the publication of the party's position paper as setting the tone for what Zanu-PF sees as negotiable and non-negotiable issues and warning the other parties of what they should expect when negotiations start, since the parties have differed over issues they regard as outstanding.
In fact, the party leaves virtually no room for negotiation on the issues the other parties regard as outstanding, and instead urges its partners in the inclusive government, especially Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party, to call for the removal of the West-led economic sanctions imposed on the country, as per its promise in the GPA.
Negotiations failed to start this week because the negotiators were tied up elsewhere and have now been rescheduled for Monday. Even then, the negotiators would still want to get direction from their principals -- Mugabe, Tsvangirai (MDC-T) and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara (MDC-M).
Following the absence of an outright winner in the parliamentary elections of 2008 and the political tension and economic turmoil that prevailed then, Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara signed the GPA on Sept. 15, 2008, paving the way for the formation of an inclusive government.
The deal was brokered by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who was appointed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as facilitator to the process. South Africa remains facilitator and is now monitoring progress towards the resolution of the outstanding issues.
Among the issues that Tsvangirai's party wants addressed are the appointments of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana. The party also wants Mugabe to swear in its treasurer Roy Bennett as a deputy minister. Mugaberefuses to swear Bennett into office until he has been cleared by the courts of insurgency and terrorism charges.
Tsvangirai and Mutambara want provincial governors to be appointed according to the parties' performances in the March 29 presidential and general elections, saying the party with the highest number of parliamentary seats in the province should appoint one of its own as the provincial governor.
Zanu-PF insists that the appointments of Gono, Tomana and provincial governors are not outstanding in the GPA.
A communique issued at the end of a SADC extra-ordinary summit held in South Africa on Jan. 27, however, urged the parties to deal with the issues after the formation of the government. The summit had been called to deal with problems in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"The appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General will be dealt with by the inclusive government after its formation; and the negotiators of the parties shall meet immediately to consider the National Security Bill submitted by the MDC-T as well as the formula for the distribution of the Provincial Governors," the communique said.
However, Zanu-PF is putting its foot down with regards to the appointments of Gono and Tomana, saying that these were done constitutionally before the formation of the inclusive government in February.
"The President then had no obligation to consult anyone, let alone leaders of political parties. The appointments were in accordance with the Constitution and the law," the party said, adding that the issues were never discussed during the dialogue and that the SADC had recommended discussions on these should be done within the government.
"Zanu-PF has taken the position that these are non-issues and have nothing to do with the GPA and Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment Number 19) Act and are being raised in order to distractattention from strategic issues such as the removal of sanctions."
Although insisting that the appointment of provincial governorswas President Mugabe's prerogative, the party said there was a likelihood of an agreement by the negotiators.
Tsvangirai announced a partial withdrawal from the government on Oct. 16, citing lack of progress in concluding the outstanding issues but suspended the boycott on Nov. 5 following the SADC intervention.
Some of the issues which Zanu-PF acknowledges as outstanding include the setting-up of a National Economic Council, the constitution-making process and a land audit, which it says have been constrained by lack of funds "and the rather crowded agenda."
The Herald supports the Zanu-PF component in the inclusive government and has been accused by the two MDC factions of being partisan.
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