Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) MDC-T refers more issues to Sadc

MDC-T refers more issues to Sadc
TZG/Herald
Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:48:00 +0000

THE MDC-T party led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday said it had resolved to refer more issues for mediation by Sadc, bypassing the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) set up to deal with any implementation issues.

Party spokesman Nelson Chamisa confirmed that the party held an extraordinary national executive council meeting in Harare yesterday where it made the resolutions to draw to the attention of Sadc more issues, in addition to the appointments of Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana.

However, Zanu PF and MDC formation led by Prof Arthur Mutambara have said the reference of the appointments to Sadc was premature because the party principals had not declared a deadlock in the ongoing deliberations.

Deputy party president Ms Thokozani Khupe chaired yesterday’s meeting in the absence of party leader, Prime Minister Tsvangirai, who is in Europe on a re-EU-US re-engagement state tour.

The additional issues they included for Sadc’s attention were alleged public media bias, arrests of the party's Members of Parliament and officials, the swearing-in of Roy Bennet as deputy Agriculture Minister and the issue of provincial governors, according to a party statement issued Tuesday.

The MDC-T alleges that arrests of party individuals were over "trumped up" charges.

These include Mutare West MP Shuah Mudiwa who was convicted last Friday of kidnapping a teenage girl last year.

Mutasa Central MP Trevor Saruwaka has been charged with rape.

Chipinge East MP Mathias Mlambo has been convicted of obstructing the course of justice, while his counterpart in Chipinge South constituency, Meki Makuyana awaits judgment.

Chimanimani West MP Lynette Karenyi has been convicted of fraud after a Mutare magistrate found her guilty of forging nomination papers in the run-up to the March 29 general elections while Bennet is facing allegations of illegal possession of a firearm.

Zanu PF has previously said the arrests were purely criminal matters that should be dealt with by the courts, as no one was above the law, while an agreement on the sharing of provincial governors’ posts has already been reached between the party principals.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai also told EU-US leaders that there were no political prisoners in Zimbabwe and that the law should take its course on individuals currently incarcerated.

The MDC-T party said they expected Sadc to convene a meeting to consider these issues.

"We have referred the issue of Gono and Tomana to Sadc. We are now going to refer additional issues," said that party's deputy secretary-general, Tapiwa Mashakada.

"We are approaching Sadc and the African Union as guarantors of the Global Political Agreement to sensitise them on the violation of the agreement.

"The media must promote the cohesive nature of the inclusive Government."

Party spokesman Nelson Chamisa said referring the issues to the JOMIC was futile because it was not effective.

JOMIC is an arm set up by the three political parties to ensure that the GPA is complied with.

"We don’t know whether JOMIC is still alive. Sending these issues to JOMIC is like flogging a dead horse. It has not lived to expectations," said Chamisa.

Asked if the publication of a newsletter by the Prime Minister’s Office did not undermine the inclusive Government, Chamisa said the newsletter was meant to allow interface between the PM and the public.

Fears of a collision between Cabinet and the PM were expressed after his office published a newsletter with details of his tour of Europe and the United States without the authority of Cabinet.

It is understood that the PM’s Office should have first briefed Cabinet before putting out details of his trip into the public domain.

--TZG/Herald

Labels: JOMIC, MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, SADC

posted by MrK @ 12:32 AM