BY CHIEF REPORTER
HARARE – Chief mediator Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa, will meet Zimbabwean negotiators in Pretoria on Saturday in a desperate attempt to break the political logjam over electoral and constitutional issues.
Despite the surprise agreement between the ruling Zanu (PF) party and the opposition MDC to amend tough security and media laws, which has been dismissed as cosmetic by civil society groups, key issues of the elections and a new constitution have not yet been resolved.
Zanu (PF) is insisting on holding elections in March 2008 under the old constitution and using the present electoral systems. This is unacceptable to the MDC, which has demanded a new constitution in place before elections are held and a total revamp of the corrupt electoral machinery.
Both sides tried to see Mbeki on the sidelines of the ANC congress in Polokwane last week, but he was busy fighting for his own political life.
The MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, has suggested that the general poll be postponed from March to June to allow time for political reforms, but Mugabe has dug his heels in over this.
According to informed sources in South Africa, Mbeki is expected to make a last-ditch effort to persuade Mugabe to postpone the elections, and if that fails he plans to get SADC leaders to collective pressure him collectively.
Zanu (PF) Parliamentary chief whip Joram Gumbo on Monday summoned all ruling party MPs to an emergency caucus where they were whipped into line to ensure the draft media and security amendment bills were “fast-tracked” into law.
The draft amendments to the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), and the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) were introduced in Parliament on Tuesday.
The Zimbabwean heard that Gumbo reprimanded ruling party MPs and threatened to send the Parliamentary register to President Mugabe amid reports he feared Zanu (PF) legislators might boycott Parliament and be outnumbered by the opposition as the bill cam to a vote on Tuesday.
Political observers said the strong resistance to the amendments by Zanu (PF) MPs showed an ominous reluctance to opening up democratic space in the country.
While the Arthur Mutambara-led wing of the MDC has openly supported the dialogue, the MDC (Tsvangirai) has expressed only guarded optimism, with spokesman Nelson Chamisa contending this week that his party would have preferred the scrapping of the two laws.
MDC (Mutambara) legal affairs secretary David Coltart said his party would not block the passage of the laws but said there was still a stalemate with Zanu (PF) regarding a new constitution being introduced prior to elections and a reasonable time period between its introduction and the holding of elections.
“I fear this is yet another cynical ploy by Zanu (PF) to subvert the good intentions behind the mediation process,” Coltart said.
Jacob Mafume, coordinator for Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition, described the amendment bills as “cosmetic” and said input from civil society had been blatantly ignored.
Post published in: News