Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) Tsvangirai told not to sign MoU

Tsvangirai told not to sign MoU
Ralph Mutema
Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0000

THE signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the ruling Zanu PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party did not take place yesterday as expected putting the much anticipated political settlement in Zimbabwe in jeopardy.

Reports coming out of Harare say the MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai changed his mind at the last minute despite reassurances from his party’s negotiation team which had agreed on the content of the document together with the Zanu PF team.

Tsvangirai is said to have advised his team that he would not be signing the MoU under instruction from Jean Ping, African Union Commission Chairman.

This is the second time the MDC leader has backtracked on a previous party position citing instructions from Ping.

Two weeks ago Tsvangirai failed to show up for a meeting which President Mbeki had managed to arrange between the MDC leader and President Mugabe saying he had received instructions from Ping. The meeting had been convened at Tsvangirai’s request.

Last week representatives from Zanu PF, MDC-T and the MDC led by Professor Arthur Mutambara met in Pretoria and held talks which led to the drafting of the MoU. The understanding was that the MoU would be signed in Zimbabwe at the South African embassy yesterday. The content of the MoU was discussed and agreed by the three parties, according to sources.

Zanu PF was represented by the public service minister Nicholas Goche and Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa while MDC-T was represented by Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma with Welshman Ncube and Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga representing the break-away formation of the MDC.

The Pretoria meeting, which was chaired by South African local government minister Sydney Mufamadi on behalf of President Mbeki had led to the drafting of the MoU and was agreed that Tsvangirai, President Mugabe and Mutambara would sign the MoU so that talks can begin.

Sources within the ruling party say Tsvangirai’s latest snub may have been triggered by the United States’ criticism of President Thabo Mbeki’s government over their vote at the UN Security Council blocking sanctions against Zimbabwe.

A US representative at the Security Council, speaking after the vote, suggested that President Mbeki was out of touch with his own country and that the time was right for him to go.

President Mbeki will meet with Jean Ping on Friday to brief him about progress that is being made or not being made in the mediation process.

The MDC has called on the mediation team to be expanded to include representatives from the African Union. South Africa dismissed speculation that the team will be expanded to meet the MDC’s demands.

South Africa’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, Aziz Pahad, indicated that the team was not being expanded and the meeting President Mbeki and the AU Commission Chairman is meant to bring the Chairman up to date with events.

“Mr Ping is not coming to South Africa in an emergency situation. It is quite important that the Chairperson of the Commission of the AU is regularly briefed about the process,” said Pahad.

He continued: “Our view has always been, and I am stressing it, we are being diverted by a fake argument about the expansion of the SADC Facilitation - the Facilitation is not South Africa only.

“South Africa is conducting the Facilitation on behalf of SADC and therefore involves the Organ Chair, who, through the processes by which we work, have to brief the Chair of SADC; the Chair of SADC has to brief the Chair of the AU who has to brief all other members including the Peace and Security Council.”

Labels: AU, ELECTIONS, JEAN PING, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, MoU, ZANU-PF, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 4:45 AM