MDC, Britain relations strained over Miliband comments
Philip Murombedzi
Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:31:00 +0000
Prime Minister Tsvangirai and David Miliband, British Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary meet in London in 2009
PRIME MINISTER Morgan Tsvangirai's party's long time relationship with former Zimbabwe coloniser, Britain was strained over utterances made in the House of Commons by Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary David Miliband.
Miliband on Tuesday last week made the shock revelation that the MDC-T party "controlled" some of the illegal and ruionous sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe by Britain, the United States and their allies in the West.
He said that sanctions should continue against Zimbabwe until PM Tsvangirai personally advocated for them to be lifted.
PM Tsvangirai, whose party has had cordial relations with the former coloniser, said Saturday that Miliband's remarks were unhelpful as Zimbabwe's inclusive Government negotiates a power-sharing pact President Mugabe.
The prime minister said he told Miliband that "his comment was unfortunate." There was no immediate comment from the FCO or from Miliband over the utterances.
The British embassy in Harare tried to tone down Miliband's statement last week, without much success. The embassy did not retract Miliband's statement, but said that issues of human rights and media freedom were important in lifting "restrictive measures" against Zimbabwe.
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara also attacked Miliband for "un-strategic” thinking in the West which is undermining the country’s formal opposition.
Speaking in the Swiss ski resort of Davos where he is attending the annual World Economic Forum, Mutambara said Miliband’s statements showed that Western leaders would do well if they “speak less and listen more”.
“It’s an example of how Western leaders can be very un-strategic. We know they mean well, we know they support the people of Zimbabwe but when they make such statements they are completely undermining our bargaining power as the formal opposition.
“So it’s very unfortunate and very ignorant for him to stay that. We are saying to these western leaders please can you be strategic for this challenge; can you talk to us before you make these unreasonable and meaningless statements because you are undermining Mr Tsvangirai; you are undermining all of us in this inclusive Government,” he said.
Zanu PF maintains that the MDC-T should cause the lifting of sanctions that it asked Western countries to impose on Zimbabwe before any other concessions are made in the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
The Zanu PF Politburo, the party’s highest decision making body outside Congress, which sat on Wednesday declared that the party would not make any more concessions in talks with the two MDC formations on issues outstanding in the full implementation of the GPA until the economic sanctions are lifted.
Addressing the media on Wednesday afternoon, Zanu PF deputy secretary for information and publicity Ephraim Masawi said the removal of sanctions had become imperative.
He said recent revelations by that London would remove sanctions at MDC’s request exposed MDC-T’s "treacherous role" in the initiation and drafting of the illegal sanctions against Zimbabweans saying the party was "a tool" of Western imperialism.
Labels: DAVID MILIBRAND, DAVOS, MDC, SANCTIONS, ZANU-PF
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Mugabe's shadow haunts PM in Davos
by
31/01/2010 00:00:00
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is pressing the world to end sanctions on his country as it climbs out of a political and economic abyss, but wherever he goes the shadow of Robert Mugabe follows.
The two will soon have been in an uneasy "inclusive government" for a year. The relationship remained difficult, Tsvangirai said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he was trying to convince global leaders to take a new look at the country.
"How do you deal with a president who was determined to see your destruction? How do you deal with the level of acrimony that existed between us?" said the prime minister.
Tsvangirai and the veteran president, who is the subject of a western travel ban and asset freeze, now meet every Monday and then go to the regular cabinet meeting together.
"I have taken a decision that we can work together, despite this acrimony, for the good of the country. There is a working relationship. Personally I don't know what his intentions are but I think what is important is for us to ensure that we finish this transition."
"I cannot predict that a coup will happen or derailment of the project, but I am satisfied that so far all the indications are that this process is irreversible."
Tsvangirai pulled out of a run-off presidential election last year, citing deadly violence against his followers. Further trouble was only avoided when Mugabe agreed to set up a unity government with his arch-rival as prime minister.
Tsvangirai said "toxic issues" remained with Mugabe's Zanu-PF party over control of the central bank, use of the attorney general's powers and the share of other political posts.
But his foreign trips abroad are now devoted to getting aid, investment and trying to convince the international community to ease sanctions.
Tsvangirai met Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Davos. "His view is that the perception out there is still very negative as long as Mugabe is there.
"As far as we are concerned, the country has to move forward with or without Mugabe."
Tsvangirai insisted there had been "significant progress" with the government's dual aims of stabilising the country and "national healing" to improve democracy and make constitutional reform.
The Zimbabwe dollar was eradicated in favour of a multi-currency regime. Inflation, once estimated in the billions of percent, was now minus three percent, said the prime minister. "We are in a deflationary state."
Tsvangirai said there could be no new Zimbabwean currency for at least two or three years until the country's production base was functioning again.
On the political front, he said a constitutional referendum would be held in October and then he and Mugabe would set a date for elections in 2011.
"We have done so much in so little time," he said. "However, I would be the last to say that everything is rosy." He also acknowledged international "scepticism" at the slow pace of implementing political change.
But he said: "This is a delicate moment, to support the process that is taking part in Zimbabwe."
"We are not sliding back. Suddenly the country is moving forward and now is the time to look at the country in a more positive environment."
The European Union meets on February 20 to discuss Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai would like them to take "a two-stage approach" to ease some sanctions and acknowledge that progress has been made.
He also wants foreign companies to return to Zimbabwe and is keen to renew links with China. The mining, tourism and agriculture sectors are all important to the government.
There were platinum, gold, diamonds and huge coal deposits in Zimbabwe, Tsvangirai said, adding that there was no limitation of profits being taken out of the country.
China had broken off a business relationship with Mugabe's party about five years ago, Tsvangirai said, but now China wanted to renew links.
"They have said they will work with the inclusive government. What it means is that we will have to revisit some of the projects that were suspended five years ago."
Tsvangirai called it a key relationship. "Who wants to avoid one of the biggest developing economies in the world?" he declared.
"Zimbabwe has to open up to all possibilities and I think that China is one of those possibilities." - AFP
Labels: DAVOS, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, MUGABE
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Tsvangirai deplores Miliband remarks
by
30/01/2010 00:00:00
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has condemned British Foreign Secretary David Miliband remarks regarding EU sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe saying the comments were “unhelpful” and likely to complicate the political situation in the country.
Miliband unwittingly strengthened President Robert Mugabe’s hand in the ongoing political dispute with his rivals by suggesting EU sanctions would continue against Zimbabwe until Tsvangirai called for their removal. Zanu PF has since demanded that the MDC leader call for the removal of the sanctions.
President Mugabe’s party, further, vowed not to make any more concessions in the ongoing dialogue over full implementation of the coalition agreement the parties signed in September 2008 until the sanctions are lifted.
And, as pressure over the issue increases, Tsvangirai told reporters in the Swiss ski resort of Davos where he was attending meetings of the World Economic Forum that Miliband’s comments were ill-conceived and badly timed especially as the country's feuding politicians battle to bridge differences over their power-sharing pact.
He said he had told Miliband during a meeting in Davos that his comments could further complicate the situation in the country.
"I did draw to his attention that his comment was unfortunate, it was uncalled for, because what it literally meant was that the MDC has to accept liability for any restrictions that have been placed on the country, rather than that it is the mis-governance and the failed policies that caused the European Union and the rest of the world to take those punitive measures," Tsvangirai told reporters.
His deputy, Arthur Mutambara, who leads the other MDC formation and was also in Davos took a much more robust position.
"With friends like those, who needs enemies?"
"What he (Miliband) has done is completely unstrategic, is very ignorant and very patronizing. Why? Because he is completely undermining Mr. Tsvangirai's power in the negotiations right now," Mutambara said late Friday.
Tsvangirai said while he did not support Mutambara's strong language, he emphasised to the British envoy that the comments could easily complicate the political battle over how Zimbabwe should be governed.
The MDC-T leader said a general political agreement must be reached at the ongoing power-sharing talks before he could call for western nations to lift their sanctions, which include travel bans on top officials and some curbs on Zimbabwean companies.
"What we want is to re-engage the European Union and normalize our relations," Tsvangirai said. "That is the objective."
Meanwhile, the British Foreign Office issued a statement on Saturday saying that it, and not Zimbabwean officials, will decide when to lift the sanctions.
"The most important factor influencing the U.K.'s views on lifting EU restrictive measures will be evidence of actual change and reform on the ground in Zimbabwe," it said. "We will make our own judgments as to when they should be reinforced or eased."
Labels: DAVID MILIBRAND, DAVOS, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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Davos 2010: Sarkozy calls for revamp of capitalism
By BBC NEWS
Thu 28 Jan. 2010, 10:20 CAT
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for a fundamental rethink of capitalism in the aftermath of the financial crisis. "We need deep profound change," he said in his keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
His comments came as bankers and regulators clashed over proposals to break up banks that threaten the whole financial system. President Sarkozy said he wished to restore a "moral dimension" to free trade.
"Were we not to change, we would be showing tremendous irresponsibility," he told the bankers and politicians that gather annually in the Swiss alpine resort.
Bank reforms
France has supported forcing banks to hold more capital and curbing bonus payments in global negotiations over the past year on how to reform the system to prevent future crises.
US President Barack Obama has proposed curbing the size of banks, preventing key financial institutions from owning hedge funds and barring them from proprietary trading - investing to make a profit for themselves rather than on behalf of customers.
Bankers in Davos were less than pleased with the ideas.
Earlier on Wednesday, Barclays boss Bob Diamond said he had "seen no evidence ... to suggest that shrinking banks and making banks smaller and narrower is the answer."
Other bankers, like Jacob Frenkel of JPMorgan Chase, have said they were worried about "bad regulation".
'Moral dimension'
President Sarkozy told the delegation - to scattered applause - that governments and companies in the world economy could not pretend it was business as usual.
"We are not asking ourselves what we will replace capitalism with, but what kind of capitalism we want?" he said.
"We must re-engineer capitalism to restore its moral dimension, its conscience," he said. "By placing free trade above all else, what we have is a weakening of democracy.
While saying that those who ran companies that made money deserved to be compensated well, President Sarkozy hit out at huge bank bonuses that have caused public outcry in the US and UK.
"There are remuneration packages that will no longer be tolerated because they bear no relation to merit," he said.
Earlier in Davos, legendary investor George Soros backed President Obama's proposed reforms to limit the size of banks and told journalists that Wall Street bankers who opposed the plans were "tone-deaf".
Labels: CAPITALISM, DAVOS, NEOLIBERALISM, SARKOZY
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Zim should learn from China: DPM Mutambara
Nancy Pasipanodya
Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:54:00 +0000
DEPUTY Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has just completed a trip to the "Summer Davos" World Economic Forum meeting in Dalian, China where he held discussions with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabo.
In a statement to the Zimbabwe Guardian the DPM said the meeting with the Chinese PM "was very productive" and centred on the two countries forming "win/win partnerships".
"The discussion with Premier Wen centred on China and Zimbabwe pursuing win/win partnerships emphasizing investment into Zimbabwe rather than aid," read the statement.
"Emphasis was on valued adding activities such as processing of minerals, manufacturing, infrustructural development, and financial services; as opposed to raw material extraction and export of unrefined products.
"We emphasized to the Premier our desire to pursue export-led growth rooted in beneficiation as we aspire to move up the global value chain."
DPM Mutambara said it was an excellent meeting and that the "Premier understood our emphasis on investment and beneficiation".
The DPM said "China has been an all weather friend to Zimbabwe, starting with our struggle for independence."
He urged all Zimbabweans to learn from the "Chinese economic miracle story" which has seen it achieve sustained economic development inspite of the current global economic crisis.
DPM Mutambara said discussions at the "Summer Davos" centred on global challenges and opportunities (climate change, green jobs, global economic crisis, economic growth, sustainability, innovation, poverty alleviation, entrepneurship).
The WEF also explored ways in which governments can share global best practice with business and political leaders, sector experts, industrialists, academics, and technologists.
Meanwhile, delivering a keynote speech, Mr Wen told global business leaders that the green shoots of world recovery were at a "critical juncture" and needed careful nurturing if they were to be sustained as the effects of China's £400bn stimulus measures may yet fade in some areas.
While promising to speed up efforts to boost China's domestic consumption by opening up the country's state-protected service industries to the private sector, Mr Wen also told delegates that seeking growth opportunities would be a "long-term and arduous task".
The WEF ran from 9-12 September.
Labels: ARTHUR MUTAMBARA, DAVOS
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