Maravi

(ZIMBABWE GUARDIAN) MDC-T in diplomatic confusion over Ahmadinejad visit

MDC-T in diplomatic confusion over Ahmadinejad visit
By: Ranganai Chidemo
Posted: Friday, April 23, 2010 4:19 am

MDC-T ministers and senior party officials boycotted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's welcome celebrations, together with diplomats from Western embassies. A senior government official said people should not consider it a coincidence that Western diplomats were not there and MDC-T was also absent.

"What they (MDC-T) forget is that they are taking a Westerners’ position. Those people are not Zimbabweans and they will leave the country.

"The MDC-T people will remain here and live here. They have no other home and to toe such lines is to their detriment."

Another official said it was strange the MDC-T-run council in Bindura had conferred on former Iranian ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Rasoul Momeni with the Freedom of the City, yet decide to boycott that country's president's visit.

Observers last night said MDC-T was simply dancing to the tune of Western countries, which have tried to effect illegal regime change in Iran since the popular 1979 revolution that deposed the Western-backed puppet regime of Shah Reza Pahlavi.

Maenwhile, two of that party's ministers were forced to attend a ceremony at State House to append their signatures to agreements between Zimbabwe and Iran.

In a clear sign that the MDC-T does not understand its role as a political party and as individuals in government, ministers Giles Mutsekwa (co-Home Affairs) and Eliphas Mukonoweshuro turned up at State House where the Iranian leader was having dinner with President Mugabe.

The agreements where to be signed just before the state banquet.

"On one hand they cannot say they want to be members of Cabinet with government responsibility, and on the other, want to boycott the same government through their party structures," said an official in the ministry of information and publicity on condition of anonymity.

"We see this behaviour in the MDC every so often."

Meanwhile, deputy national organising secretary of the MDC-T Mr Morgan Komichi expressed ignorance of President Ahmadinejad’s visit.

"I’m not even aware that he is coming today. There is a delegation going to the Trade Fair tomorrow (Friday) but I’m not sure if Mr (Morgan) Tsvangirai is going," he said.

Labels: MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, MDC

posted by MrK @ 5:06 PM