MDC expected to endorse decision to join unity government

Briefing party supporters and journalists soon after arrival at the Harare International Airport yesterday, Tsvangirai said: It's a historic decision and I hope the party will be united in ensuring that we respond to the needs on the ground and people's expectations,' he said. Newsreel spoke to several MDC MPs who all confirmed Friday's meeting of the 124-member body was just a formality, as Tsvangirai was expected to receive the full backing of the national council.
 We met last week and said we will only join when some of our demands are met. Look, Mugabe gave concessions to three out of five of our demands. In any negotiation, you win some and lose some,' an MDC MP said.
 Another MP added; Remember this is the same body that has many members who have always advocated joining the unity government. If the issue was to be decided by a vote, an outright majority will say yes, let's join, but I don't think it will go that far. Putting it to a vote will mean the party is divided over the issue.' 
 Analysts though remained sceptical. Glen Mpani, a Cape Town based analyst said Tsvangirai's decision to agree to join a unity government could have been based on many things.
 There is a humanitarian crisis in the country now, so he could have been motivated by the level of suffering to such alarming proportions he decided to take a chance based on trust,' Mpani said.

Mpani added that Tsvangirai has put his feet in the river' in the hope that he won't be swept away because in the back of his mind he knows he's dealing with a rogue party.
Tsvangirai could be asking himself, will these people throw away their 28 year-old culture of flouting the rule of law, of abusing human rights or disregarding the constitution,'
 Basildon Peta, a Zimbabwean journalist based in South Africa, told us Tsvangirai said the three issues on which Mugabe had conceded ground were the appointments of provincial governors, national security legislation and passage of constitutional amendment 19, giving legal effect to the September 15 unity agreement. There are reports the appointments that have already been made of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General will be reversed, and then dealt with by the inclusive government after its formation.
Critically however, observers point out that Mugabe has not given in to the contentious issue of letting go of the Home Affairs ministry, insisting that it be co-shared with the MDC. The other important demand that he failed to address was the continuous detention of civil and political
Once the inclusive government is in place, work will start on restructuring the civil service and this will involve the appointments of permanent secretaries and ambassadors, after consultations between Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe.
The SADC summit enforced a timeline to ensure the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement. Regional leaders asked all parties to work towards ensuring that parliament pass the Constitutional Amendment 19 by the 5th February.
That will be followed six days later by the swearing in of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers on the 11th. Ministers and Deputy Ministers shall be sworn in on two days later, concluding the process of the formation of the inclusive government.
The Joint-Monitoring Implementation Committee (JOMIC), provided for in the Global Political Agreement, was activated soon after the summit in Pretoria. A source told us the first meeting of JOMIC is expected to be convened by Thabo Mbeki in Harare on Friday, to elect the chairpersons.
JOMIC will be composed of four senior members of ZANU PF and four members from each of the two MDC formations. SADC envisages that the committee will be co-chaired by persons from the parties and will assess the implementation of the GPA from time to time and consider steps which might need to be taken to ensure the speedy and full implementation of the agreement in its entirety.
SWRadio Africa