Maravi

Speak loudly against sanctions, Mugabe tells Tsvangirai’s party

Speak loudly against sanctions, Mugabe tells Tsvangirai’s party
Written by Kingsley Kaswende in Harare, Zimbabwe
Friday, April 10, 2009 5:05:12 AM

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has challenged Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party to speak loudly for the removal of sanctions slapped on Zimbabwe. Addressing the 76th Ordinary Session of the ZANU-PF Central Committee at the party headquarters on Wednesday afternoon, President Mugabe challenged the Tsvangirai-led MDC formation to join their counterparts in the inclusive government to condemn the sanctions.

"We want the voices of all against the sanctions. We want the voices of the MDC-T to be heard much more loudly against the sanctions. The other MDC led by Professor [Athur] Mutambara has been calling for the removal of sanctions but we also want the other side to be heard loudly speaking against the sanctions," he said.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai has only been heard once calling for Western countries to remove the sanctions.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai said during the official opening of the current session of Parliament that the international community must support the inclusive government and remove "restrictive measures" to give chance to the inclusive government to rebuild the economy.

President Mugabe said sanctions had been rendered useless by the formation of the inclusive government.

"Of course, we have our detractors, both within and outside, who sought regime change yesterday and who have not been enthused by the modest success of the inclusive government," he said.

The MDC was at the fore-front of calling for sanctions against government officials when it was still in the opposition.

President Mugabe said Western countries had continued to work against the new political dispensation in Zimbabwe.

"There are those in Europe who think that they are the people with a divine prerogative to say the people want regime change in Zimbabwe, that Mugabe must go but you wonder where they get these ideas when there is a general acceptance of democracy in the country," he said.

"It's not for the people from other countries to choose leaders, but the people of a particular country have a God-given right to choose their leaders. I don't blame them for being that mistaken, sometimes we have some kind of lunatics who believe they have the right to do so."

President Mugabe said most developing countries had invited onto them the trouble of being dictated upon by rich countries.

"We in Zimbabwe have resisted that, but the Third World has continued to let them do that. In a sense, we must bear the responsibility. We go to them with empty bowls to pay for our budgets, for them to give us money for our workers, so when they call the tune then they must sing the tune and their natural sovereignty is compromised when you go on your knees begging for their help," he said.

The President said the affairs of the inclusive government were progressing very well.

"The inclusive government is now a reality. We have held a few Cabinet and Cabinet committee meetings of the selfsame government and I am pleased to say that we are making progress with each passing day. Yes, there are problems here and there, but we continue to register progress," said President Mugabe.

Labels: SANCTIONS

posted by MrK @ 4:06 AM