Parliament was expected to start debate on constitutional changes
creating a prime minister post for Movement for Democratic Change
leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday, but a fresh dispute erupted this
week, with the MDC accusing President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF of
backtracking on the unity deal.
MDC chief whip Innocent Gonese told Reuters the rival parties’
negotiators would meet on Wednesday in a bid to settle outstanding
matters before the proposed constitutional amendments were brought to
parliament.
The first round of negotiations between ZANU PF and the MDC, since last
week Friday when Morgan Tsvangirai received approval from his party to
join the inclusive government hit a brick wall just as talks began on
Tuesday.
This latest impasse puts into jeopardy Wednesday's plans to push
constitutional changes through parliament to pave the way for a
power-sharing government between Mugabe and the two MDC's.
The Bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament and seeks to give
legal effect to the setting up of the proposed government by namely
creating the post of Prime Minister for Tsvangirai.
This is now in doubt following the latest stalemate. A source in the
MDC told us, parliamentarians and senators from the MDC-T will meet to
consider postponing the introduction of the Bill until the two issues
of the National Security Council composition and governors have been
worked out.
It's believed negotiators from all the parties will fly to South Africa
on Wednesday for a crisis' meeting with the facilitating team to try
and iron out their differences. ZANU PF negotiators on Tuesday refused
to deal with some of the issues, saying they could not talk about them
because they had no mandate from Mugabe.
Despite MDC worries, Mugabe on Tuesday told leaders at the African
Union summit that he’s committed to forming a national unity government
with the MDC. He said the country is on the path to creating an
all-inclusive government.'
The ZANU PF caretaker government has begun to backtrack on the
inclusive government by dithering to discuss contentious issues in line
with the SADC resolutions, party spokesman Nelson Chamisa said after
the meeting ended early Tuesday.
He expressed regret that in spite of concessions made by Robert Mugabe
last week during a full SADC summit in Pretoria, ZANU PF has remained
intransigent. SADC leaders resolved that negotiators from the three
major parties must meet immediately' to consider the NSC Bill, and the
modalities and formula for the distribution of governors.
Today, (Tuesday) the ZANU PF negotiators said they could not talk
about the issue because they have no mandate from their leader who is
attending the AU summit in Ethiopia. We in the MDC are convinced that
there is no intention on the part of ZANU PF to put all these issues to
rest. There is no wish to consummate an inclusive government in line
with SADC resolutions, Chamisa said in a statement.
Trudy Stevenson, a senior member of the MDC-M said she was surprised by
ZANU PF's sudden U-turn on the talks. She bemoaned the delaying
tactics' by ZANU PF and described as strange,' reasons that the
negotiators didn't have a mandate to discuss the issues on the table.
When they agreed with the SADC resolution, it meant they had the
mandate to discuss all outstanding issues. They agreed to all SADC
conditions and suddenly they say they don't have the mandate. Something
is wrong somewhere, Stevenson said.
The MDC-T believes ZANU PF is panicking,' and that they have been
caught flat-footed by their decision to join the inclusive government.
Chamisa added; ZANU PF never budgeted that the MDC would agree to be
part of the inclusive government and now they are in sixes and sevens,
while trying desperately to scuttle the deal.
For the record, he added the contentious issue of governors was
supposed to be dealt with last Tuesday in South Africa but ZANU PF
negotiators said their tickets did not allow them to stay a day longer
and returned with their principal to Zimbabwe. Then on Wednesday last
week, nothing further was discussed as they said they were preparing
for the budget.
The spokesman said ZANU PF negotiators then suggested that discussions
on the matter be deferred to Tuesday, ahead of the passage of
Constitutional Amendment number 19 on Thursday, but true to culture
and tradition; they have shifted goal posts and are now saying they
have no mandate.'
ZANU PF is spoiling to scuttle the inclusive government which SADC
directed should be in place by 13 February 2009. We are ready to clear
all outstanding issues so that we collectively confront the challenges
facing the people of Zimbabwe, ZANU PF is not. We are ready to tackle
cholera, unemployment and the collapse of basic services such as
education and health. ZANU PF is not. Chamisa said.