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(TALKZIMBABWE) Focus on GPA issues, Zanu PF urges MDC-T

Focus on GPA issues, Zanu PF urges MDC-T
Philip Murombedzi
Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:57:00 +0000

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF party has urged the Movement for Democratic Change party to focus on issues that are enshrined in the Global Political Agreement, rather than to try and divert attention from its obligations by concentrating on peripheral issues, not covered by the agreement.

According to Zanu-PF’s position paper presented to the Sadc Troika ministerial delegation two weeks ago, President Mugabe has "implemented all GPA requirements while resource constraints affected the operationalisation of a few."

The 'outstanding issues' highlighted in that position paper, which was seen by the Zimbabwe Guardian, include the setting-up of a National Economic Council, the constitution-making process and a land audit.

Article 3.1(c) of the GPA signed on September 11 2008 calls on President Mugabe to establish a "National Economic Council, composed of representatives of the Parties and of the following sectors: manufacturing, agriculture, mining, tourism, commerce, financial, labour, academia and other relevant sectors.

The Parties also agreed to "conduct a comprehensive, transparent and non-partisan land audit, during the tenure of the Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe, for the purpose of establishing accountability and eliminating multiple farm ownerships" (Article 5.9(a)) and to "call upon the United Kingdom government to accept the primary responsibility to pay compensation for land acquired from former land owners for resettlement" (Article 5.9(d)).

According to Zanu PF, the MDC-T party has failed to make such a call to the U.K. government, although it signed the September agreement.

In its representations, Zanu PF said the establishment of the NEC had been delayed due to "resource constraints and the rather crowded agenda" though consultations were in progress.

"The constitution-making process has stalled somewhat because of resource constraints.

"The budget for this process to be completed is just in excess of US$11 million and for the outreach programme just in excess of US$5 million."

On the land audit, Zanu-PF said the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement had made preparations for the audit but needed US$32 million.

"The ministry is in a position to embark on a land audit once sufficient resources are secured and are availed by the Minister of Finance.

"These resources need not be availed all at once. An initial provision of US$5 million can help to start the audit."

Zanu PF castigated MDC-T for concentration on non-GPA issues and trying to introduce them into the GPA by the back-door.

The party said the appointments of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor and Attorney-General were not in the GPA and had been made constitutionally before the formation of the inclusive Government.

"The President then had no obligation to consult anyone, let alone leaders of political parties.

"The appointments were in accordance with the Constitution and the law."

Zanu PF said these issues were never discussed during the dialogue process and Sadc had recommended that discussions on these should be done within Government.

The GPA is silent on the appointments of Tomana and Gono and their positions do not feature even once in the document.

"Zanu PF has taken the position that these are non-issues and have nothing to do with the GPA and Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment Number 19) Act and are being raised in order to distract attention from strategic issues such as the removal of sanctions," the party said.

Zanu PF said while the issue of the appointment of provincial governors was President Mugabe’s prerogative, negotiators and principals had discussed this and there was a likelihood of an agreement.

"However, MDC-T has acted in complete bad faith by elevating the issue to the level of obligations, which they are not," the party stated.

On the swearing-in of Roy Bennett as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Zanu-PF said the MDC-T treasurer-general was facing serious criminal charges and his appointment now would undermine and jeopardise the due process of law.

Bennett is also a convicted criminal who has spent months in prison.

"MDC-T was informed that Bennett would not be appointed until and unless cleared by the courts.

"Be that as it may, it has been made clear to MDC-T that nothing precludes them from appointing somebody else to be sworn in, in the interim as Deputy Minister."

Prime Minister Tsvangirai is said to be under pressure from Bennett himself and the West to ensure that he is sworn in. That is why he (Tsvangirai) has thus far failed to nominate anyone else for that position although there are able candidates in his party.

Bennett has vowed to reverse the land reform programme and the mining deals made by Government before the formation of the inclusive Government.

When the MDC gets into power in Zimbabwe, “any deal done ... will be not be honoured and will be undone,” said Bennett in an interview with Miningmx.

At the time, the controversial treasurer, who has previously admitted that the MDC-T had deliberately created the economic problems in Zimbabwe in order to remove President Mugabe, said that the MDC will also consider confiscation of assets.

Bennett also urged Anglo-American to put all their planned investment and/or operations ”on hold” until a new MDC government is in place.

Zanu PF said MDC-T had refused to acknowledge and call for the lifting of sanctions, although the GPA was clear on this.

Article 4.3 of the GPA is clear on the issue of sanctions, which include, but is not limited to: "the enactment of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act by the United States of America Congress which outlaws Zimbabwe's right to access credit from International Financial Institutions in which the United States Government is represented or has a stake"; the " suspension of Zimbabwe's voting and related rights, suspension of balance of payment support, declaration of ineligibility to borrow Fund resources and suspension of technical assistance to Zimbabwe by the International Monetary Fund"; the suspension of grants and infrastructural development support to Zimbabwe by The World Bank; and the "imposition of targeted travel bans against current Government and some business leaders".

The party says the failure by the MDC-T to call for the lifting of sanctions, when it signed the GPA, is hypocritical and "is a serious violation of the letter and spirit of the GPA (while) the continuing imposition of sanctions . . . is militating against the economic recovery of the country and undermining socio-economic and political stability in the country."

Zanu PF argued that MDC-T was also obliged by the GPA to cause the dismantling of hostile pirate radio stations broadcasting from outside Zimbabwe.

"The MDC leadership gives interviews which perpetuate hate language against Zanu-PF.

"These continuing broadcasts are undermining the political stability of the inclusive Government and the country in general."

Article 19.1 (i and ii) of the GPA calls upon the inclusive Government to call upon the governments that are hosting and/or funding external radio stations broadcasting into Zimbabwe to cease such hosting and funding; and to encourage "all Zimbabwean nationals including those currently working for or running external radio stations ... to make applications for broadcasting licences, in Zimbabwe, in terms of the law."

The MDC-T party was recently snubbed by Sadc as it tried to introduce issues that are not in the GPA as "outstanding issues".

Sadc called upon the parties to deal with these "appointment issues" separately and internally as they were not in the GPA.

Labels: GLOBAL POLITICAL AGREEMENT, MDC, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 4:30 PM