Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) MDC eyeing fresh elections: Chamisa

MDC eyeing fresh elections: Chamisa
by
12/02/2010 00:00:00

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party on Friday called for fresh elections if the current deadlock in talks between rival factions of the frayed power-sharing government persisted.

"In our view it's a deadlock. If the deadlock persists then our trajectory is to have free and fair elections," Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), told journalists in Harare.

A team of South African mediators trying to nudge President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party and the two rival MDC factions towards a resolution of what has been termed “outstanding issues” left Harare on Thursday saying it was “comfortable” with the state of the negotiations.

The team, appointed by South African President Jacob Zuma, arrived in Zimbabwe on Monday but left with no agreement.
Mugabe’s Zanu PF party says it will not give any concessions until western sanctions, which it blames the MDC for seeking, are lifted on the country.

Tsvangirai’s MDC, meanwhile, wants Mugabe to reverse the appointment of Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana.

The MDC also wants Tsvangirai’s pick for deputy agriculture minister Roy Bennett sworn-in, which Mugabe insists will not happen unless Bennett is acquitted in his ongoing terrorism trial.

Lindiwe Zulu, an adviser on international relations to Zuma, told the Voice of America’s Studio 7 that mediators remain positive but want to see a conclusion to the negotiations soon.

Chamisa added: "We realise there is disenchantment among the people. The people would want to see finality to these issues. We are saying to our Zanu PF colleagues, seek ye first the kingdom of the GPA [Global Political Agreement] and the rest of this world will follow [by lifting sanctions]."

Labels: ELECTIONS, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, NELSON CHAMISA

posted by MrK @ 4:03 PM