The cash-strapped government recently approached the UN for funding for the general election expected later this year and the world body demanded that it should have unrestricted access to institutions and individuals of its own choice.
However, Zanu (PF), represented by Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in the coalition government that also includes Tsvangirai’s MDC and MDC-N now led by Welshman Ncube, had threatened to deport the team if it came into the country with a demand of unlimited access.
Briefing the media after a two-day meeting of the principals in government that started on Monday, Tsvangirai said the principals had failed to come up with a common position on who the UN team should engage.
“The issue of who the UN team should meet is still outstanding. There is no consensus yet as some among us (principals) are insisting on a limited mandate for the team. We hope we will be able to convince the UN to proceed to Zimbabwe because funding for elections is crucial and, as you know now, the UN wants to carry out an unrestricted assessment,” Tsvangirai said.
He added, though, that the principals had resolved to task Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, Biti, Chinamasa and Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga to consider how local funding could be arranged.
Biti yesterday, during another press briefing at his offices in Harare, said besides the UN, government was considering ways of obtaining money from locally mined diamonds, in addition to South Africa and Angola.
The principals, Tsvangirai added, had tasked Chinamasa and Matinenga to draw a roadmap for the principals on when elections would be held.
“The principals would then convene a meeting, maybe by next week, to consider the roadmap. They will have to consider both political and legal issues in coming up with the roadmap, looking at such things as the last day of Parliament,” said Tsvangirai.
He said the team of ministers comprising Matinenga and Chinamasa should also consider the alignment of statutes to the new constitution that he hoped would be adopted when Parliament meets early next month.
“Before the end of June, Parliament has to amend several laws, not just the Electoral Act. In addition, we are looking at how best to ensure a month’s period for voter registration that I wish should run concurrently with a month for the constitutional alignment,” added Tsvangirai.
He also announced that Mutambara was still a principal in the Government of National Unity. Mutambara, alongside President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai, signed the 2008 Global Political Agreement to map the way towards a new political dispensation after a disputed presidential poll and became a principal in the unity government in 2009.
He was then the leader of the smaller MDC formation but has since been replaced by Welshman Ncube, who is also the Ministry of Industry.
“Mutambara is still a principal in government. We have to distinguish between principals in government and political party principals. Where government business is concerned, Mutambara remains a principal, but when political party leaders are called for business, for example by SADC, Ncube goes,’ he said.
However, Ncube dismissed Tsvangirai’s position, saying because Mutambara no longer led a political party, he could not be a principal.
“It makes no sense to say Mutambara is still a principal. On what basis? In all aspects relating to the GPA and the inclusive government, the principals are drawn from the leadership of the three political parties—my MDC, Zanu (PF) and Tsvangirai’s MDC. Who does Mutambara, without a party or MPS, represent? His wife?” said Ncube.
“SADC made a resolution in Mozambique last year that only leaders of the main political parties would be the principals and that has not changed,” he added.
Post published in: News
Zanu fellows are mad. UN election assessors do not affect Zimbabwe in any adverse way but Chinamasa and his friends are even afraid of their own shadows. Please get psychiatric medication Patrick!