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(TALKZIMBABWE) Biti, Tsvangirai differ on summit attendance

Biti, Tsvangirai differ on summit attendance
AFP/Zim Guardian reporters
Sun, 02 Nov 2008 06:32:00 +0000

THE opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Saturday dropped conditions on attending the next full Southern African Development Community (Sadc) summit even if he does not receive his passport dropping conditions he and his party set last week.

The chief negotiator and Secretary General of the MDC, Tendai Biti, had told reporters on Tuesday that Tsvangirai would not travel to the summit unless he received his passport, although the MDC leader spent the whole of last year travelling on an emergency travel document (ETD).

But Tsvangirai defied the hardline position of his Secretary General, and told reporter that he would attend the summit even if the government refused to grant him a passport.

"With or without a passport, I will attend," he told AFP news agency in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city going against the hardline position of Biti.

This is not the first time the two leaders have sung from different hymn books. Earlier this year Biti opposed the convening of Parliament arguing that it meant that the opposition MDC party recognized Mugabe as President of Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai, at the time, issued a statement that the convening of Parliament was necessary.

Insider reports from the MDC party suggest that the two leaders have clashed several times on strategy leading to the issuance of different statements on policy and related issues.

Tsvangirai has not had a passport for almost a year, and must seek an ETD each time he leaves the country.

Biti had called the government's failure to grant him a normal passport "the crudest form of lack of sincerity" by President Robert Mugabe.

Leaders from the 15-nation Sadc are expected to hold an emergency summit aimed at pressing Tsvangirai and Mugabe to resolve their differences on forming an all-inclusive government.

The rivals agreed to a power-sharing deal on September 15, but talks have stalled over how to divide control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Regional leaders met twice last month in a bid to facilitate the power-sharing agreement, but they remain deadlocked over control of the home affairs ministry.

The date and location of the summit have not yet been announced.

AFP/Zim Guardian

Labels: MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, NEGOTIATIONS, SADC, TENDAI BITI

posted by MrK @ 11:59 PM