MDC boycott: Zim on brink of chaos

Tsvangirai said the MDC was not pulling out of the eight-month old administration. But he said the former opposition was cutting contact with Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) party which he said included boycotting Cabinet and the Council of Ministers a move that immediately sparked fears Zimbabwe could slide back to the kind of violence that claimed over 200 lives after disputed presidential elections in 2008.

The MDC leader is also expected to stop attending his regular Monday meetings with Mugabe, until the 85-year-old President moves to resolve all outstanding issues from the Global Political Agreement (GPA) that gave birth to the coalition government.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told The Zimbabwean on Sunday separately that MDC ministers were going to continue carrying out their government duties and functions, raising the prospect of two parallel governments one led by Tsvangirai and another by Mugabe emerging in Zimbabwe.

Zanu (PF) spokesmen were not immediately available to respond at the time of going to print.

“The party is not completely pulling out of the government,” Tsvangirai told reporters at the MDCs Harvest House headquarters.

“Why have we decided not to pull out? Because the people of Zimbabwe want real change and that is our obligation. If that time to pull out comes, it will be that time, not now,” added the former opposition leader who agreed to join Mugabe in government in a bid to end Zimbabwes myriad crises.

And Tsvangirai appeared in tune with many Zimbabweans who in interviews with The Zimbabwean on Sunday urged the MDC to stick it out in the unity government but said the party should take a more robust stance against Mugabe, who they accused of violating the GPA at will.

A Harare resident, Gregory Matahwa, called on Tsvangirai and the MDC to slug it out in the troubled coalition.

Constitutional crisis

Political analyst John Makumbe said the MDC decision “not to cooperate with Zanu (PF)” was a “welcome move”.

“Basically it comes to two parallel governments in Zimbabwe,” Makumbe said. “It was a necessary move because in many ways the MDC has been too soft with Zanu (PF) they should have been tougher. In my view, Tsvangirai has more powers spelt out in the GNU than he is using. He has no choice but to use those powers.”

Makumbe said the move by the MDC was certain to trigger a constitutional crisis because under Constitutional Amendment No. 19 which formed the coalition government, Mugabe and Zanu (PF) cannot run the government alone constitutionally and legally.

“It is necessary to force SADC to resolve the outstanding issues that relate to the implementation of the GPA, Makumbe said. “If implementation of GPA is conclusively undertaken these problems will vanish. Mugabe is doing as he likes. This has to be stopped. This is a good first step. But there is need for extra measures to support the move.”

Makumbe urged the MDC to take advantage of its massive support by calling mass demonstrations in support of the Prime Minister’s decision not to cooperate with Zanu (PF), adding that any violent suppression of protests would provoke SADC to act.

Joshua Matenda of Breaside said: “The MDC should arm-twist Zanu (PF) until it resolves all the outstanding issues. I guess the boycott is good as an arm-twisting tactic.”

But political commentator Ronald Shumba urged political leaders to find an amicable way to end their differences, warning that the escalating crisis could plunge Zimbabwe back into chaos.

Unreliable partner

The unity government, that is seen as offering Zimbabwe the best opportunity in a decade to wriggle out of economic and political crisis, has done well to stabilise the economy and end inflation that was estimated at more than a trillion percent at the height of the countrys economic meltdown last year.

But analysts have always doubted the administrations long-term effectiveness, citing unending squabbles between Zanu (PF) and MDC as well as by the coalition governments inability to secure direct financial support from rich Western nations.

What broke the camel’s back was the detention last Wednesday of MDC treasurer and Senator, Roy Bennett, on controversial charges of terrorism that Tsvangirai had long said were undermining the unity government.

Bennett is the MDCs nominee for deputy agriculture minister but Mugabe has refused to formalise the appointment, citing the terrorism charges.

Tsvangirai told the news conference that Zanu (PF) was an “unreliable” partner. “It has brought home the reality that as a movement we have an unreliable and unrepentant partner in the transitional government,” he said.