(NEWZIMBABWE) Sanctions petition: Biti besieged
Sanctions petition: Biti besiegedby Staff Reporter
15/06/2011 00:00:00
DOZENS of Zanu PF supporters marched on Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s office on Wednesday to demand that he signs the so-called “anti-sanctions petition” – a signature denunciation of Western sanctions which has been endorsed by President Robert Mugabe and his two deputies.
Police were called to move-on the group of nearly 100 slogan-chanting marchers calling themselves members of the Anti-Sanctions Trust.
The timing of the protest at Biti’s offices in Harare appeared aimed to coincide with the visit of delegations from the IMF and World Bank – two international financial institutions accused by Mugabe’s supporters of withholding funds for Zimbabwe over the last decade.
Biti, the secretary general of the MDC-T, did not emerge to meet the demonstrators, but the finance ministry’s permanent secretary Willard Manungo told them that the minister was tied-up in meetings.
And speaking to journalists later, Biti said: “I will not sign any petition that belongs to any political party. I will not do that.
“What this country needs to do is to concentrate on the issue of putting food on the table of Zimbabweans, putting jobs in the homes of our people. There is 85 percent unemployment in Zimbabwe so my mandate as minister of finance is the mandate of the Prime Minister and everyone who is in government is to make sure the people of Zimbabwe have jobs and food so nothing will deviate us from that mandate.”
Fanuel Mutasa, who identified himself as the leader of the group, reportedly told Biti’s staff that they had been sent by Information minister Webster Shamu [Zanu PF] to demand his signature, according to Radio VoP.
"We want him to sign the anti-sanctions because we noticed he has not appended his signature to the petition," Mutasa was quoted as saying.
He added: “We are suffering. After Biti, we will go to the higher offices (an apparent reference to PM Tsvangirai)."
In March, Mugabe launched an ambitious campaign to collect two million signatures denouncing the sanctions which regional leaders also say must be lifted. Vice Presidents Joice Mujuru and John Nkomo, as well as ministers from Zanu PF, have signed the document.
In May, state media claimed the signature target had been met amid reports that some members of the public had been forced to append their signatures at the threat of beatings.
Mugabe’s party insists that Western sanctions are responsible for Zimbabwe’s economic collapse over the last decade -- punishment they say for his government's programme to seize land from white farmers. But their promoters claim that they are targeted at individuals responsible for human rights abuses.
[Let's try that again. One side says... the other side says... we report, you decide. Right? So what do you say, or are you just stenographers? Here is what the legislation itself says, and you can 'decide for yourself' whether these economic and financial sanctions 'are targeted at individuals responsible for human rights abuses', or 'The Government Of Zimbabwe', a term mentioned TWICE in ZDERA, Section 4C. From ZDERA, Section 4C, titled Multilateral Financing Restriction:
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
(c) MULTILATERAL FINANCING RESTRICTION- Until the President makes the certification described in subsection (d), and except as may be required to meet basic human needs or for good governance, the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against--
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
Labels: IMF, SANCTIONS, TENDAI BITI, ZDERA
posted by MrK @ 4:45 AM
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