Mbeki said the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by Mugabe, Tsvangirai and the leader of a smaller opposition party, Arthur Mutambara, committed the signatories to move with speed to conclude on formal talks on forming a power-sharing government seen as the best way to end their country’s political and economic crisis.
We have convened here today to have an MOU signed by the principal leaders of this country. The MOU commits the negotiating parties to an intense programme to finalise the negotiations urgently, said Mbeki the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s chief mediator on Zimbabwe.
The parties are aware of the urgency and we will try to complete negotiations urgently, added Mbeki, who at the weekend announced plans to form a reference group of African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN) representatives to help him facilitate dialogue in Zimbabwe.
While government and opposition negotiators had reached agreement on the MOU last week, Tsvangirai had refused to sign the document demanding that Mugabe first acts to end political violence against opposition supporters and that the AU and UN second officials to work with Mbeki
Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party accuse Mbeki of bias in favour of Mugabe’s ruling ZANU PF party.
The MDC leader on Monday pledged his full commitment to talks and made an indirect appeal to Mugabe to stop state media’s anti-opposition crusade in order to help create a conducive environment for dialogue.
My commitment to the discussions is not superfluous, it’s total. We want to achieve a peaceful prosperous Zimbabwe, said Tsvangirai, who referred to Mugabe as president of ZANU PF and not of Zimbabwe, a sharp reminder of the deep antagonism between the two rivals that could yet scuttle negotiations.
Tsvangirai identified himself as president of the winning party, a clear reference to one of the MDC’s key demands that the opposition’s victory in the first round presidential election on March 29 be recognised.
The MDC also defeated ZANU PF in a parallel House of Assembly election in March. But Mugabe has refused to accept Tsvangirai’s claim to victory based on the March results. The veteran leader insists he is the legitimate President of Zimbabwe after winning a second round of voting on June 27.
Mugabe was sole candidate in the June ballot after Tsvangirai pulled out saying a free and fair vote was impossible after at least 113 MDC supporters were killed and about 200 000 others displaced in political violence during the run-up to the poll.
Several African observers, including those from the AU, condemned the run-off election as undemocratic, while Western nations and a handful of African countries have said they will not recognise Mugabe’s government.
On his part, Mugabe said after signing the MOU that he and ZANU PF were committed to dialogue. But the Zimbabwean leader was unable to resist taking one more potshot at Tsvangirai, making an indirect appeal to stop taking orders from the West.
He said: The MOU is a serious part on my part and for my party, ZANU PF. The signing of the MOU is a reflection of sincerity as we embark on the discussions, interaction on the economy, on sanctions, land, information, security, law and order.
We shall be doing this as Zimbabweans with the help of South Africa and that we cut off whatever has been influencing us from the European Union, USA and be masters of our own destiny.
Mugabe accuses the MDC of being a puppet party of Western governments opposed to his leadership and says the opposition is being used by the West to undermine Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and sweep him from power. MDC denies the charges.
Mutambara, who heads a breakaway faction of the MDC, called on all political leaders to put their differences aside and focus on resuscitating Zimbabwe.
Once prosperous Zimbabwe is in the throes of an economic meltdown, and analysts say the crisis took a turn for the worse following Mugabe’s disputed and violent re-election in the June.
The economic crisis is seen in the world’s highest inflation rate of more than two million percent, shortages of food, foreign currency and unemployment above 80 percent. – ZimOnline
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