Tsvangirai told MDC supporters in Kwekwe on Sunday that the armed forces have emerged as the biggest obstacle to democratic reforms in Zimbabwe, while again calling for the restructuring of the traditionally ZANU PF loyal security forces.
The Prime Minister said he would not pull out of the fragile coalition government with ZANU PF. But he added that the administration has failed to live up to its promise to restore the rule of law, human rights and democracy. He said the coalition was on the verge of dysfunction, mainly because ZANU PF and the security forces continue to lead a crackdown on the MDC-T and its supporters.
“Talk that we are making progress is misleading, we are not going anywhere until there are reforms within the security sector,” Tsvangirai said on Sunday.
He added: “When we signed the Global Political Agreement, the security sector was not an issue, but now it is because ZANU PF is abusing these national institutions to making them spokespersons of the party. If we had known that this was going to be the case, we would not have entered into that agreement.”
Tsvangirai also said his party wanted an election next year, but said this would only be on the condition of a new constitution, security sector reform and an agreement on an elections charter.
“These are the three key issues in the election roadmap. Once these have been guaranteed we will then sit down after the constitution and decide when to hold elections, but that will not be this year. We want elections and we don’t want them in 2013, we want them next year after these guarantees,” he said.
Tsvangirai’s comments came as his party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) met in Kwekwe to discuss various issues, including preparations for the upcoming SADC Summit in Angola this month, the election roadmap, and the ongoing negotiations between the parties in government.
The MDC-T said in a statement that the full implementation of the GPA is being frustrated by ZANU PF 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 party said.
The NEC also dismissed ZANU PF’s position “that the security sector should not be realigned as a misguided position that cannot be sold anywhere.”
“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 party said.
Post published in: News