Among the issues discussed was the party’s preparation for the SADC Summit in Angola this month, the election roadmap, performances of ministers from the MDC in government and the ongoing negotiations.
The MDC realises that the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) is being frustrated by Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe and that pressure must be brought on Mugabe to implement the GPA in full.
The country’s service chiefs should issue a public statement that they will unequivocally uphold the Constitution of Zimbabwe; uphold the rule of law and respect the winners of all elections in Zimbabwe. The National Executive Committee dismissed Zanu PF’s position that the security sector should not be realigned as a misguided position that cannot be sold anywhere. It was noted that Zanu PF is abusing the security forces in order to protect certain individuals within its ranks.
To this end all military deployment in rural areas should be reversed forthwith.
The security sector in any country should prioritise the protection of its country’s citizens. In Zimbabwe, however, we have elements in the security sector who act as though they are an extension of Zanu PF’s security department; those who work and lobby for Zanu PF as though they are on that party’s payroll.
The people of Zimbabwe need peace; they need a security force they can trust; a force that respects them; a force that respects the need to protect an individual and uphold human rights. The MDC will not partake in any election that is a declaration of war on the people of Zimbabwe.
There is need for real change and proper realignment in the security sector, to ensure that the will and the vote of the majority are not undermined by individuals and the sanctity of life is respected.
On the roadmap, the MDC National Executive Committee noticed that although these were areas where an agreement had been secured, there are fundamental issues affecting the roadmap, on which no agreement has been secured. These include the staffing at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the eradication of all state sponsored violence.
The National Executive Committee resolved that the party would not compromise on these issues.
Post published in: Politics