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(HERALD) Inter-party talks to resume

Inter-party talks to resume
Herald Reporters

INTER-PARTY talks between Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations will soon resume under the continued facilitation of South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki. Cde Patrick Chinamasa, one of Zanu-PF’s representatives in the talks, yesterday said he had received confirmation that both formations — one led by Arthur Mutambara and the other by Morgan Tsvangirai — were ready to return to the negotiating table. "We have received communication from both MDC Mutambara and MDC Tsvangirai that they are ready for a resumption of the inter-party talks.

"The talks will resume sooner rather than later, but I obviously cannot tell you what is on the table or when or where we will be meeting as we do not want to negotiate in public. The talks will be under the facilitation of President Mbeki," Cde Chinamasa said.

Efforts to get comment from MDC-T were unsuccessful last night after spokesman Nelson Chamisa did not return calls as promised. However, Cde Chinamasa had earlier expressed dismay at Tsvangirai’s initial decision to boycott the talks and for snubbing President Mbeki when he jetted into the country last Saturday where he met President Mugabe and Mutambara. "As Zanu-PF, we are disappointed that Tsvangirai, who requested for the meeting, did not turn up. His no-show shows that someone is dictating the pace for him," he said.

This comes amid revelations that Tsvangirai had defied a resolution by his party by boycotting Saturday’s inter-party talks held at Zimbabwe House in Harare. The MDC-T national council met on Friday and made a number of resolutions that included the need for the party to engage Zanu-PF in dialogue aimed at ending Zimbabwe’s current challenges. "The national council resolves that the party must engage in dialogue for the purpose of ensuring that we resolve the Zimbabwean crisis and bring in legitimacy and democracy to Zimbabwe," said Chamisa, in a statement listing the resolutions made at the meeting.

However, yesterday Tsvangirai apparently decided to proceed with the inter-party talks under the facilitation of President Mbeki. MDC-T set some conditions for participating in the talks, among them the impartial and expeditious prosecution of all perpetrators of political violence. There has been discord in the MDC-T camp over the inter-party talks with Tsvangirai initially indicating that he was willing to engage Zanu-PF while the opposition party’s secretary-general Tendai Biti condemned dialogue.

Last week Biti said prospects of dialogue between Zanu-PF and MDC-T were "totally and completely exterminated" by the June 27 presidential run-off that the opposition party boycotted. "It is now the firm view of the MDC that those who claim they have got a mandate to govern should govern. Chitongai tione," said Biti in a statement later dismissed by Chamisa as not reflecting the formation’s position as it had been "overtaken by events".

Saturday’s talks were attended by President Mugabe, Vice President Joice Mujuru, the Zanu-PF negotiating team while from the MDC there was Arthur Mutambara, his secretary-general Welshman Ncube and deputy secretary-general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga. President Mbeki chaired the talks.

Labels: ELECTIONS, PATRICK CHINAMASA, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 7:12 AM