SADC summit disappoints MDC

SADC summit disappoints MDC
Written by Kingsley Kaswende in Harare, Zimbabwe
Tuesday, January 27, 2009 9:40:47 PM

SADC leaders have decided that opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai should be sworn in as prime minister by February 11, 2009 but his party has rejected the regional bloc’s proposal. An extraordinary summit of SADC heads of state aimed at cracking the four-month political impasse over establishing an inclusive government in Zimbabwe, which had started on Monday and was concluded yesterday morning resolved that Tsvangirai should be sworn as prime minister to rule alongside President Robert Mugabe.

Tsvangirai has openly rejected a similar SADC proposal before, arguing that he could not join the inclusive government without significant powers.

A communique released at the end of the 14-hour meeting said Tsvangirai’s swearing-in would happen after a constitutional amendment No 19, which was tabled on Thursday last week to create the position, is adopted on February 5.

SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salomao, reading from the communique at a press conference said the process of setting up the inclusive government would be concluded two days after swearing in the prime minister and two deputies.

"The ministers and deputy ministers shall be sworn in on 13 February 2009, which will conclude the process of the formation of the inclusive government," said Salomao.

He said both parties agreed to the joint control of the disputed Home Affairs Ministry, which has been a major obstacle to a final agreement.

SADC decided that the ministry should be divided between ZANU-PF party and the MDC for six months, said South African President Kgalema Motlanthe.

President Motlanthe, who is the current chairman of the regional grouping, told reporters that the opposition had agreed to that formula.

"All the parties expressed confidence in the process and committed to implementing the agreement," he said.

The SADC communique said negotiators from both parties would now meet to consider a proposal to share the key Home Affairs ministry, which controls the police, and a formula for the distribution of provincial governors and other government positions.

But MDC spokesman Nqobizitha Mlilo immediately distanced himself from the communiqué.

“The MDC has not agreed to go into government of national unity,” he said.

He said MDC leaders would meet this Friday to decide on their next step. An MDC statement said the results of the SADC summit had not met the party’s expectations.

“Quite clearly, the conclusions reached as reflected fall far short of our expectations,” it reads.

Heads of state from Botswana, Namibia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe and senior delegates from the seven other SADC countries represented their governments at the summit that was held in Pretoria.