Biti needs passport to attend talks with ZANU PF

Biti – who is on bail on charges of treason, insulting Mugabe and causing disaffection among the defence forces – is the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)’s chief principal negotiator in the talks mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki.The talks are scheduled to resume in South Africa later on Wednesday. However, the fact that Biti has to go to court to get back his passport that authorities are holding as part of his bail conditions highlights the acrimonious environment under which the dialogue is taking place. “The applicant is the principal negotiator for MDC-T. He has spent considerable time negotiating with other key stakeholders in the Zimbabwean political platform with a view to achieving a negotiated settlement to the Zimbabwean political stalemate,” Biti’s lawyer said in the application urging the court to order the release of the MDC secretary general’s passport. The lawyer, Lewis Uriri, said he was reliably informed that the negotiations were resuming in South Africa on July 8. African leaders have urged ZANU PF and the MDC to use the talks to reach agreement on a transitional government of national unity that would stabilise the political and economic environment before calling fresh free and fair elections. But major obstacles threaten to scuttle the talks with Mugabe insisting that the MDC should recognise him as President of Zimbabwe after his victory in a June 27 presidential run-off election in which he was sole candidate after MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out.The run-off election that was condemned by both African and Western governments as undemocratic was held because Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe in a March 29 first round ballot but failed to secure the required majority to takeover power.The MDC has insisted it would not recognise Mugabe and would not take part in talks until the government stopped political violence against the opposition party’s supporters. Tsvangirai and his party also insist that any talks should be based on the March vote that is widely regarded as reflective of the will of Zimbabweans.The hearing of Biti’s application to get his passport back is scheduled to kick off at 0900hrs at the Harare High. – ZimOnline