HARARE - Negotiations between the three parties in Zimbabwe's ruling coalition, Zanu (PF) and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations remained deadlocked as talks opened on Thursday , with mediators expected to break the deadlock before the crucial SADC summit in Namibia on May 20, an MDC source said. Negotiators have failed to agree on a number of issues under the power sharing agreement such as the removal of soldiers and CIO operatives from the electoral commission, an oath by the service chiefs that they will not block the transition if Zanu PF loses, and that soldiers stop campaigning for Mugabe and Zanu PF.
“The talks have reached a deadlock on a number of issues, so we need the mediator to move the talks forward. Apparently, the Zanu PF negotiators were only mandated to negotiate around the voters roll, and nothing else,” the MDC official told The Zimbabwean on condition of anonymity.
Senior negotiators from Zanu (PF) and the MDC started the talks last Thursday, with the objective of finding a solution to the country’s political and economic crisis, including the charting of an election roadmap that will make the next election dispute free.
The negotiations followed preliminary talks that started after the Livingstone SADC TRoika summit that directed that the three parties in the ruling GNU, especially President Robert Mugabe; and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Prof Welshman Ncube honour the deal they signed on implementing the framework of the global political agreement to end the deadlock over fresh polls. The meeting will receive an election roadmap drafted by the six negotiators last month, which was given to Ncube, Tsvangirai and Mugabe. Mutambara is being systematically sidelined.
The roadmap enjoins all parties to call for the removal of Western sanctions, wrap-up the constitutional reform exercise and complete amendments to the Electoral Act prior to a fresh vote.
The elections, which Mugabe wanted mid-year, have been deferred to next year. Tsvangirai told his party congress last week that elections will be held in 12 months time. Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu PF’s chief negotiator has said elections can actually be held in 2013.
The roadmap has resolved to sack the current boards of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe and trustees for the Mass Media Trust and impose independent officials to run the public instutions not Zanu PF cronies.
The roadmap also talks about more media players in the electronic media. Zimbabwe has state-run TV and radio stations only.The roadmap says the partries must spearhead voter education, mobilisation of voter registration, preparation of a new voters roll and its inspection. The MDC says it wants a biometric voters roll.
However, Zanu PF is refusing to fire the current Zimbabwe Electoral Commission secretariat, which the MDC alleges is stuffed with CIO operatives and Zanu PF sympathisers. Calls to have a UN-run election have been shot down by Zanu PF.
The MDC has also demanded that the service chiefs issue a public statement repudiating their earlier threat that they will block the transition if Zanu PF is defeated in the election. The MDC source said the MDC wants all the service chiefs, who say they will not salute anyone without liberation war credentials, to make a public statement that they will uphold the Constitution and respect the rule of law in the event Mugabe loses elections.
The MDC official said Zanu PF was unwilling to accept the deal on these issues saying the politicians have no business directing service chiefs what to do, and that it was not an election matter and that the generals have already taken an oath of office, loyalty and secrecy to uphold the Constitution..
The MDC has also demanded that soldiers stop campaigning for Zanu PF, but Zanu PF has refused to entertain this saying it simply was not true.
There are also disagreements on violence, with the MDC alleging Zanu PF was behind all the violencer, and Zanu PF alleging it was infact the MDC causing all the violence.
“The MDC as the largest party in parliament, has the right to level the electoral playing field before any fresh election. They have to accede to these demands otherwise there will be no election,” the official said, adding that the Zanu PF negotiators knew the game is up and have to comply and break the stalemate otherwise they risk facing the music at the SADC summit that will be attended by all heads of State in the regional bloc in Windhoek.
The MDC source said the negotiators agreed on the agenda on Thursday, before proceeding to a meeting with the mediators. The result from the ongoing meetings will tabled before the organ on politics, defence and security prior to the full SADC summit.
Worried by a crisis that has flooded neighboring states with millions of refugees, SADC and the African Union (AU) have pushed for a final and lasting solution to the power-sharing problems in Zimbabwe by ensuring the next election is free and fair.
The southern African grouping appointed South African President Jacob Zuma to take over from Thabo Mbeki to mediate between Zanu PF and the MDC. Zuma has sharply escalated presurre on Zanu PF and Mugabe and indicated he will not countenance any more chicanery.
The MDC wants fresh elections held as soon as possible, but only after comprehensive reforms while Mugabe, who has ruled since 1980, who earlier wanted a snap election now seem to have climbed down and now wants the GNU to carry on with its five-year mandate.
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