Zimbabwe's Discontented MDC-T Cries Wolf To Regional Leaders Of SADC, AU

20 May 2009

MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai apparently succumbed to pressure from his party yesterday and agreed to a resolution immediately referring all outstanding issues under the Global Political Agreement to Sadc and the African Union for arbitration

This is despite the fact that the leaders of Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations -- which are partners in the power-sharing agreement -- have not yet declared a deadlock on the outstanding issues.

Mr Tsvangirai -- who is Prime Minister in the inclusive Government -- told MDC-T supporters at a rally at Mucheke Stadium yesterday that he was bound by the party's resolution to turn to the guarantors of the power-sharing agreement, Sadc and the AU, for recourse.

The MDC-T national executive committee had met earlier in Masvingo and passed the resolution to seek Sadc and the AU's arbitration in settling the outstanding issues.

The outstanding issues include the status of Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono, the appointments of Attorney-General Johannes Tomana, provincial governors, ambassadors and permanent secretaries.

Mr Tsvangirai, who recently said the principals of the GPA were making progress in resolving the outstanding issues, said he would abide by the party's decisions.

"I totally agree with the decision that has been made by my party because they feel we are dragging our feet in solving the outstanding issues. As a worker of the party, I can't go against their resolutions because they are saying we are not satisfied with the progress that is being made, especially with other issues like unexplained arrests," Mr Tsvangirai said.

MDC-T secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti had earlier on announced that the party's national executive council had resolved that all outstanding issues under the GPA be referred to Sadc and the AU.

Mr Biti, who is Finance Minister in the inclusive Government, said Sadc and the AU, as guarantors of the GPA, were supposed to mediate over all issues that have not yet been resolved.

"As MDC, we feel that there has been too much dragging of feet in solving the outstanding issues and we had given the three principals a deadline to have solved the outstanding issues by last month, but there was no progress. Hence AU and Sadc, as guarantors of the GPA, should move in and try to solve the outstanding issues," said Mr Biti.

Mr Tsvangirai had last weekend said there was no "deadline" for the three principals, insisting that no such deadline existed and "95 percent" of the outstanding issues in the power-sharing pact had been resolved.

"We had to express ourselves with the frustration with resolving some of the outstanding issues, but there is no deadline," the MDC leader was quoted as saying on a visit to South Africa last week, where he attended the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma.

The MDC-T leader even indicated that an announcement was due to be made last Tuesday after a final meeting between the principals that was scheduled for Monday, but the meeting did not take place as President Mugabe was hosting a delegation from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Mr Tsvangirai's office insisted last Tuesday that major sticking points had been resolved and a final meeting of principals would reach a settlement and an announcement would be made soon thereafter.

In his address at Mucheke, Mr Tsvangirai urged Zimbabweans to be patient with the inclusive Government as it was faced with challenges of mobilising funds.

Mr Tsvangirai said Government was in the process of marshalling financial resources to improve salaries and working conditions for civil servants while efforts would also be made to import around 600 000 tonnes of maize to offset an anticipated cereal shortfall.

He urged civic society to work with the inclusive Government in drafting a new constitution, saying unnecessary confrontation should be a thing of the past.

EsinIslam.Com