Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Mugabe, Tsvangirai plan joint anti-violence rallies

Mugabe, Tsvangirai plan joint anti-violence rallies
03/01/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe and bitter rival and current Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai are planning joint anti-violence rallies ahead of elections analysts warn could be as bloody as the inconclusive 2008 ballot.

The country-wide rallies, which would also involve MDC leader, Professor Welshman Ncube, were confirmed by senior officials from Zanu PF and the two MDC formations.

Said Zanu PF’s Didymus Mutasa: "The dates have not yet been given to us by the President; as you know there are three principals, but there is one main one who is President Mugabe, so we are guided by him.”

"The purpose of the meetings will be to inform the greater public on the need to tolerate each other. This is an idea of all the parties in the inclusive Government, so we will go to all the provinces with the same message of tolerance and co-existence."

Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga of Ncube’s MDC added: "We are waiting for the principals to give us the dates and as you may be aware the President is on leave so maybe the meetings will be held in February.

"It was the principals who requested that they wanted to go to all the provinces with the same intention of urging no violence."
Tsvangirai’s MDC was however, non-committal, insisting several issues still needed to be clarified.

"It should be made clear in what capacity the principals will be addressing the people if they are to address together. I.e. are they addressing as presidents of parties or in their government roles?" party spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora said in an interview with The Herald.

"We also want to know in what order they will speak; i.e. are they going to speak in alphabetical order, are they going to use their ages or their government positions in taking turns to speak?

"We also want to know the message and how it is going to be communicated. If there are agreements on these issues then I don't see serious objections to this initiative."
Mwonzora said, if held, the rallies should address several key issues ahead of the planned elctions.

"The substance of the principals' proposed campaign must address the question of selective application of the law by law enforcement agents," he said.
"They must clearly indicate that there will not be any sacred cows when it comes to dealing with perpetrators of violence.

"We, therefore, expect the principals to give orders unequivocally to law enforcement agents especially the police to stop acting in a partisan manner."

Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Ncube addressed a so-called anti-violence indaba in Harare last November as concern increased over clashes between the parties.

The Zanu PF leader has insisted new elections must be held early this year to replace the coalition government claiming the arrangement was no longer workable.

However the MDC formations want reforms agreed under the SADC-mediated Global Political Agreement GPA to be fully implemented first.

Labels: MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, WELSHMAN NCUBE

posted by MrK @ 5:46 PM