Reuters
Tue 12 Aug
2008, 7:06 GMT
By Nelson Banya
HARARE, Aug 12 (Reuters) -
Zimbabwe's ruling party said power-sharing talks
resuming on Tuesday risked
collapse as it haggled with the opposition over
roles in a new
government.
Marathon talks have so far failed to secure a
breakthrough.
After a second day of discussions, President Robert Mugabe
told reporters on
Monday there was no progress but a deal was still
possible.
The negotiations are seen as the best chance to end a
post-election crisis
and raise hopes of economic recovery.
A source
in the opposition MDC said Mugabe was refusing to give up executive
powers,
while an official from the ruling ZANU-PF said MDC leader Morgan
Tsvangirai's demands could scupper chances for a breakthrough.
Talks
began in July after Mugabe's unopposed re-election in June in a poll
condemned throughout the world as unfair and boycotted by Tsvangirai because
of attacks on his supporters.
The rival leaders ended a 14-hour
meeting in the early hours of Monday
morning and another lengthy session
later in the day failed to bring the
sides closer.
Mugabe told
supporters at a rally in Harare that there was progress in talks
with
Tsvangirai and breakaway MDC faction leader Arthur Mutambara. South
African
President Thabo Mbeki is mediating.
A ZANU-PF official told Reuters the
talks were in danger of collapse.
"It looks like we have reached some
kind of stalemate which is threatening
the whole dialogue," the official
said.
"Tsvangirai is moving goal posts, forcing us to negotiate issues
which we
had already agreed upon," he said, referring to whether Mugabe
would head a
new unity government.
"This is an issue that we had
settled and he (Tsvangirai) is also suggesting
that he must be given full
authority to appoint any new government."
HUMANITARIAN
HARDSHIPS
Neighbouring countries fear the consequences of more
instability in
Zimbabwe. Deepening hardships have already driven millions of
Zimbabweans to
seek work abroad.
Human Rights Watch on Tuesday called
on regional leaders to pressure
Zimbabwe's government to stop what it called
continued violence which
threatens to undermine efforts to end the country's
political crisis.
It urged the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) group of
countries to take a tough stand against the alleged abuses
at its Aug. 16
summit in South Africa.
In a report released in
Johannesburg, Human Rights Watch said SADC should
ensure that Zimbabwe's
police "immediately dismantle all torture camps and
bases throughout the
country and prosecute those responsible for torture and
other
mistreatment".
ZANU-PF denies opposition and human rights groups
allegations of political
violence. It has accused the MDC of carrying out
attacks. Both sides have
called on their supporters to end political
bloodshed.
Political analysts say a host of issues need to be tackled
before a solid
deal is possible.
First and foremost is whether Mugabe
will be ready to give up some powers
that have helped him keep a tight grip
on Tsvangirai and other foes.
Control of powerful security forces in the
southern African country is
another key question.
If Tsvangirai were
to get only insignificant ministries, it might anger
other MDC officials and
supporters who braved what they say was a ruthless
government crackdown
during the election. The MDC says 120 of its supporters
were
killed.
Despite the difficulties, the discussions are seen as the
clearest sign yet
that an agreement could be within reach. They will resume
in a Harare hotel
at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Tuesday.
Investors are
likely to remain cautious, however, seeking reassurances that
any new
government can rescue what was once one of Africa's most promising
economies
and create conditions that will make them feel safe. (Additional
reporting
by Cris Chinaka and MacDonald Dzirutwe; writing by Michael Georgy;
Editing
by Charles Dick))
http://www.radiovop.com
HARARE, August 12 2008 - A deal is looking
increasingly less likely in
Zimbabwe as talks enter their final day, with
the Movement for Democratic
Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai and President
Robert Mugabe as far apart as
they have ever been.
The
South African facilitated talks led by mediator President Thabo
Mbeki and
which began on Sunday, adjourned shortly after 8pm Monday night,
four ways
after they got underway at a hotel here. They are scheduled to
resume at 3pm
Tuesday afternoon and to end, either way, before the day is
out.
Although Mugabe claimed last night the main points of
contention had
been 'overcome', he did not sound upbeat about the direction
of the talks.
They were 'not exactly' going well, he said.
Asked if progress had been made in more than four hours of
discussions,
Mugabe said: "Not at the present moment, but we will continue
tomorrow."
The thorny issue of who is to hold sway over the
incoming parliament
has not been resolved, with Mugabe refusing to give
ground and Tsvangirai,
who won the March 29 elections, reluctant to back
down from this advantage.
The MDC leader has been offered a
junior partnership in Mugabe's
government as a prime minister but with
minority executive control, while
his Zanu PF counterpart is adamant about
ruling for a further five years.
"The MDC is willing to go to
the polls again, in a free and fair
election, to determine who should govern
this country," a participant in the
talks said shortly after they adjourned
last night.
"But we will not give an inch to Mugabe's plans to
hold on to
presidential powers."
A Zimbabwean woman
speaking yesterday as she trudged along a highway
towards her home 8km west
of Harare, said: "We are going to suffer even more
now, and we are hungry
and worried and maybe Mugabe is going to stay on
forever, until he
dies,"
Meanwhile, at the five star venue where the talks are
taking place,
Arthur Mutambara, leader of the breakaway MDC faction, began
emerging as the
key player. Unconfirmed reports suggested he had been
offered the position
of deputy prime minister to Tsvangirai, much to the
latter's displeasure.
The leader of the smaller MDC faction
holds the swing 10 parliamentary
seats that could make or break a deal,
depending in whose favour he chooses
to cast them now.
Earlier of Monday, Mutambara tried to outwit his former leader when he
attended a Heroes' Day rally with Mugabe, sparking another round of street
talk that he had 'sold out' to the Zanu PF chief. Mugabe told his followers
to continue their fight, saying, "God says I gave you power to protect
yourselves".
Mutambara's critics were quick to down play
his status. Sydney
Masamvu, an analyst in Harare for the international
Crisis Group, said:
"Mutambara will be nothing more than a bridesmaid in
this marriage, if
Mugabe and Tsvangirai make it to the altar at
all."
Zimbabwe desperately needs a deal, but one that would be
supported by
international donor countries.
"It doesn't
look good, perhaps we are not going to get a deal," said a
source close to
the marathon talks.
A settlement would count in Mbeki's favour
as he approaches a Southern
Africa Development Community (SADC) summit, at
which he assumes the rotating
SADC chair in Johannesburg this
weekend.
In recent months, his mediation efforts have attracted
criticism from
some members of the 14-country bloc.
In
recent months, Botswana has said it will not recognise a Mugabe
headed
government, while in South Africa COSATU chief Zwelinzima Vavi warned
that
while he could not stop the incumbent Zimbabwe president from entering
South
Africa to attend Saturday's summit, he will make it difficult for him
to be
here.
The negotiations are seen as the best chance to end a
post election
crisis.
Tsvangirai confirmed the talks had
adjourned and said reporters would
be advised of any
progress.
An opposition source said progress was being held up
by Mugabe's
refusal to give up executive powers, while an official from the
ruling Zanu
PF said Tsvangirai's demands could scupper any chance of a
breakthrough.
Negotiations began last month after Mugabe's
unopposed re-election in
a June poll condemned throughout the world and
boycotted by Tsvangirai
because of attacks on his
supporters.
Mugabe told supporters at the Heroes' day rally in
Harare that there
was progress in talks with Tsvangirai and breakaway MDC
faction leader
Arthur Mutambara.
"We had a long night
negotiating on some little hurdles. I thought I
should raise my fist, but
he, (mediator Mbeki) remained cools and said: '
Let us continue talking,"
Mugabe said.
He was delivering a speech to honour those who
died fighting in
Zimbabwe's liberation war.
In a sign of
softening his stance towards Tsvangirai, Mugabe told the
rally the time had
come to sit down and talks as a family.
"After a fight, the
family sits down, That's where we are," he said,
referring to the violence
since the March elections that had claimed at
least 120
lives.
Both sides are under international pressure for a deal,
particularly
from neighbouring countries that fear the consequence of a
meltdown in
Zimbabwe.
Economic collapse has already driven
millions of Zimbabweans to seek
work in other countries.
Political analysts say there are a host of issues that need to be
tackled
before a solid deal is possible.
First is whether Mugabe will
be ready to give up some of the powers
that have helped him keep a tight
grip on Tsvangirai and other foes.
Control of the powerful
security forces is another key question.
If Tsvangirai were to
get only insignificant ministries, it might
anger other MDC officials and
supporters who braved what they say was a
ruthless government crackdown
during the election.
The MDC said 120 of its supporters were
killed. (Cape Times)
IOL
August 12 2008
at 10:49AM
Harare, Zimbabwe - Talks to try to find a solution to
Zimbabwe's
political crisis continue in Harare on Tuesday despite a downbeat
assessment
by President Robert Mugabe on the progress so far.
Asked by reporters when he left talks on Monday whether the
negotiations on
a power-sharing government were going well, Mugabe said:
"Not exactly" but
said that negotiations would continue.
Mugabe, his rivals and South
African President Thabo Mbeki, who is
mediating, have been in closed-door
talks at a Harare hotel since Sunday
morning. The talks had been expected to
end on Sunday evening, and the
repeated extensions indicate they are
deadlocked.
The chief obstacle has been differences about what
role, if any,
Mugabe would have in a possible unity government. Main
opposition leader
Morgan Tsvangirai has said he could work with moderates
from Mugabe's
Zanu-PF party, but not with Mugabe.
Zanu-PF has
insisted Mugabe remain president, and he may be balking at
ceding much power
to Tsvangirai.
Mugabe left Monday's session before Mbeki or
Tsvangirai, who said as
he left that "we will advise on the issues as we
move forward." He did not
elaborate.
Tuesday's session was
scheduled for the afternoon, after celebrations
of Armed Forces Day, a
Zimbabwean national holiday.
The talks in Harare involving the top
leaders expand on negotiations
their deputies had been holding in South
Africa since the factions signed a
July 21 agreement setting out terms for
power-sharing negotiations.
In a speech earlier on Monday, Mugabe
called the July 21 agreement an
"auspicious development (that) has paved the
way for full-scale negotiations
raising the prospect for an all-inclusive
government."
Days after the talks framework was signed, US
President George Bush
expanded the number of Mugabe loyalists subjected to
travel and other
sanctions. That week, the European Union broadened similar
sanctions.
"It is regrettable that our detractors continue to
impose more
sanctions," Mugabe said in his speech.
"We
therefore call on Britain and its allies to remove sanctions to
enable us to
freely chart our destinies."
Mugabe has repeatedly accused former
colonial power Britain of
plotting to try to subjugate Zimbabwe again. But
on Monday, he did not
return to his accusations that the opposition was
Britain's puppet.
Mugabe spoke in English and Shona on Monday for
about 25 minutes -
unusually brief for him - to more than 10 000 people at a
cemetery outside
Harare on the holiday honouring political leaders and
veterans of the
struggle against colonial rule.
The March
elections led to waves of violence across Zimbabwe.
Tsvangirai came
first in a field of four, but did not win by the
margin necessary to avoid a
second round against second place finisher
Mugabe. Tsvangirai withdrew from
the June 27 runoff because of attacks on
his supporters blamed on Mugabe's
party militants and security forces.
Mugabe held the run-nd was
declared the overwhelming winner, though
the exercise was widely denounced.
- Sapa-AP
IOL
August 12
2008 at 06:16AM
By Fiona Forde and Peta Thornycroft
A
settlement is slipping from sight in Zimbabwe, where talks were to
enter
their third and final day today with Movement for Democratic Change
leader
Morgan Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe as far apart as they
have ever
been.
The South African-facilitated talks, which began on Sunday,
adjourned
shortly after 8pm on Monday night, four hours after they got under
way at a
central Harare hotel. They were scheduled to resume at 3pm on
Tuesday and to
end, either way, before the day is out.
Although
Mugabe on Tuesday night claimed the main points of contention
have been
"overcome", he was not sounding upbeat about the direction the
talks are
taking, saying they are "not exactly" going well.
The thorny issue
of who will hold sway over the incoming parliament
has still not been
resolved, with Mugabe refusing to give ground and
Tsvangirai reluctant to
back down from his March 29 victory at the polls.
Tsvangirai has
been offered a junior partnership in Mugabe's
government as a prime minister
but with minority executive control, while
his Zanu-PF counterpart is
adamant to rule for a further five years.
"The MDC is willing to go
to the polls again, in a free and fair
election, to determine who should
govern this country," a member of the
talks told The Star after they
adjourned last night. "But we will not give
an inch to Mugabe's plans to
hold on to presidential powers."
Meanwhile, at the 5-star venue
where the talks are taking place, it
was Arthur Mutambara who was beginning
to emerge as the key player, with
unconfirmed reports suggesting he had been
offered the position of deputy
prime minister to Tsvangirai, much to the
latter's dislike.
The leader of the smaller MDC faction holds the
swing 10 parliamentary
seats that could make or break a deal, depending in
whose favour he chooses
to cast them now.
Negotiators also believed that Tsvangirai would attend the annual Heroes’ Day commemoration at the national shrine to indicate that reconciliation between the highly divided country was possible. He didn’t turn up although Mutambara did, sparking another round of street talk that he had “sold out” to Zanu PF".
Mutambara's critics are quick to downplay his
status.
According to Sydney Masamvu, a Harare-based analyst for the
International Crisis Group, "Mutambara will be nothing more than the
bridesmaid in this marriage, if Mugabe and Morgan make it to the altar at
all".
This article was originally published on page 1 of The
Star on August
12, 2008
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/12/africa/AF-Zimbabwe.php
The Associated
PressPublished: August 12, 2008
HARARE, Zimbabwe: Talks to
try to find a solution to Zimbabwe's political
crisis continue in Harare
Tuesday despite a downbeat assessment by President
Robert Mugabe on the
progress so far.
Asked by reporters when he left talks Monday whether the
negotiations on a
power-sharing government were going well, Mugabe said:
"Not exactly" but
said that negotiations would continue.
Mugabe, his
rivals and South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is
mediating, have been
in closed-door talks at a Harare hotel since Sunday
morning. The talks had
been expected to end Sunday evening, and the repeated
extensions indicate
they are deadlocked.
The chief obstacle has been differences over what
role, if any, Mugabe would
have in a possible unity government. Main
opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai has said he could work with moderates
from Mugabe's ZANU-PF
party, but not with Mugabe. ZANU-PF has insisted
Mugabe remain president,
and he may be balking at ceding much power to
Tsvangirai.
Mugabe left Monday's session before Mbeki or Tsvangirai, who
said as he left
that "we will advise on the issues as we move forward." He
did not
elaborate.
Tuesday's session was scheduled for the afternoon,
after celebrations of
Armed Forces Day, a Zimbabwean national
holiday.
The talks in Harare involving the top leaders expand on
negotiations their
deputies had been holding in South Africa since the
factions signed a July
21 agreement setting out terms for power-sharing
negotiations.
In a speech earlier Monday, Mugabe called the July 21
agreement an
"auspicious development (that) has paved the way for full-scale
negotiations
raising the prospect for an all-inclusive
government."
Days after the talks framework was signed, U.S. President
George W. Bush
expanded the number of Mugabe loyalists subjected to travel
and other
sanctions. That week, the European Union broadened similar
sanctions.
"It is regrettable that our detractors continue to impose more
sanctions,"
Mugabe said in his speech. "We therefore call on Britain and its
allies to
remove sanctions to enable us to freely chart our
destinies."
Mugabe has repeatedly accused former colonial power Britain
of plotting to
try to subjugate Zimbabwe again. But Monday, he did not
return to his
accusations that the opposition was Britain's
puppet.
Mugabe spoke in English and Shona Monday for about 25 minutes -
unusually
brief for him - to more than 10,000 people at a cemetery outside
Harare on
the holiday honoring political leaders and veterans of the
struggle against
colonial rule.
The March elections led to waves of
violence across Zimbabwe.
Tsvangirai came first in a field of four, but
did not win by the margin
necessary to avoid a second round against second
place finisher Mugabe.
Tsvangirai withdrew from the June 27 runoff because
of attacks on his
supporters blamed on Mugabe's party militants and security
forces.
Mugabe held the runoff and was declared the overwhelming winner,
though the
exercise was widely denounced.
Business
Day (Johannesburg)
12 August 2008
Posted to the web 12 August
2008
Dumisani Muleya
Harare
ZIMBABWE's rival political parties
adjourned delicate power-sharing
negotiations last night amid fears that the
talks had hit a last-minute snag
which might lead to a collapse of the
dialogue.
Sources close to the talks said the "deal-breaker" had been a
proposal by
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan
Tsvangirai
that he be made prime minister with executive powers while
incumbent
President Robert Mugabe be reduced to ceremonial
head.
President Thabo Mbeki, who is chairing the talks, held a
private meeting
with Tsvangirai after he tabled the proposal - which was the
original stance
of the MDC.
Last night a Zanu (PF) official said
Tsvangirai wanted a transfer of power
to him and not a deal to share power.
Tsvangirai wanted a transitional
government for two and a half years instead
of a five-year power-sharing
arrangement.
Tsvangirai also wanted a
transitional constitution, the official said.
After a marathon session
that ended in the early hours of yesterday morning,
substantial progress was
made with the parties agreeing to sharing power.
Mugabe would have
remained president, with two deputies, and Tsvangirai
would have become
prime minister with two deputies.
The main sticking point had been who
would have chaired the cabinet. But
after Tsvangirai's proposal last night,
the talks stalled.
Tsvangirai looked frustrated when he left the Rainbow
Towers hotel last
night and said only that talks would continue today. In
contrast, Mugabe
said sticking points "will be overcome".
Earlier in
the day, Mugabe said in a Heroes' Day address that the parties
would have to
find solutions to the country's problems despite their vicious
fights during
elections.
He said the opposition must "stop working with western powers"
because that
undermined the talks.
A senior Zanu (PF) official last
night blamed the stalemate on Tsvangirai,
whom he accused of "moving
goalposts" after consulting his allies during the
day.
US and British
diplomats have confirmed to Business Day that their advice to
Tsvangirai has
been to not sign the draft agreement from the early hours of
yesterday and
to negotiate for more power. Their governments - which are
preparing to
provide aid to a new dispensation - would not bankroll any deal
in which
Mugabe retained control, they said. The Zanu (PF) official said
Tsvangirai
demanded more executive powers, including the authority to
appoint and chair
the cabinet.
It is understood that Tsvangirai no longer agreed with the
initial
proposition that would have had Mugabe appoint him to the post of
prime
minister. Tsvangirai wanted to be elected by a joint sitting of
Parliament
to ensure he did not owe his mandate to Mugabe.
Cabinet
posts are expected to be shared between the parties. Zanu (PF)
desperately
wants to retain the ministries of defence and state security,
while the MDC
wants finance, home affairs and foreign affairs, among others.
A
breakdown of the talks would spell further disaster for the country, which
is in economic meltdown. Inflation is the highest in the world and there are
shortages of basic commodities, including food, hard currency, fuel,
electricity, medicines, chemicals and spares - and even water. With
Reuters
http://www.zimbabwemetro.com
Local News
August 12, 2008 | By Gerald
Harper |
The Delicate talks between the MDC and ZANU PF could collapse as
negotiations on roles and the distribution of power in the all-inclusive
government are failing to yield an agreement.
ZANU PF is reportedly
shifting goalposts and Mugabe has demanded on top of
the privilege to
appoint the cabinet, powers to fire the Prime
Minister,dismiss a cabinet
member and chair meetings.
In an earlier agreement the Prime Minister is
answerable to parliament and
could only be dismissed through a vote of no
confidence which needs the
support of a two thirds majority.
A
notable development is an agreement that the parties will share the
appointment of the governors of the country's 10 provinces, which include
metropolitan Harare and Bulawayo based on March's parliamentary
elections.
Another agreement is that there shall be no by-elections until
2009, MPs and
Senators who cross parties,step down or die will be replaced
by the party
controlling the seat without an election.
The MDC also
wants the Central Intelligence Organisation to be reformed
before they take
office in an all-inclusive government arguing that its
structure and
operations as they are now will seriously impede the smooth
day to day
business of the government.
Another bone of contention regards the number
of cabinet posts. The MDC
wants to limit these to 26, but ZANU-PF is
demanding 38.
Strong disagreements also emerged on the composition of the
security detail
for the Prime Minister and non ZANU PF ministers.
The
MDC is arguing that its existing security personnel should be official
and
given weapons by Zimbabwe Defence Industries(ZDI) instead of security
provided by the Zimbabwe National Army's Presidential Guard
brigade.
ZANU PF is rubbishing MDC concerns and labelling them as "Minor
concerns" ,
"Premature" "arming civilians" and was adamant that the MDC
should not be
concerned.
The MDC insists the issue is equally
important and is arguing that the army
unit is highly politicised to offer
genuine close security to the MDC
leadership.
The army's Presidential
Guard provides close security to the president, his
deputies and all
Ministers, it comprises bomb-sniffing dogs through event
venues, sweeping
all equipment,round the clock residence guarding and
flanking. The security
is usually composed of 45-50 men armed with AK rifles
and other assortment
of weapons.
Yesterday Constantine Chiwenga the Zimbabwe Defence Force
Commander made a
stop at the Rainbow hotel.
Yahoo News
by Godfrey Marawanyika 44 minutes ago
HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe's
rivals will resume make or break power-sharing
talks on Tuesday after two
days of negotiations failed to produce a deal
following Robert Mugabe's
widely condemned re-election.
The talks mediated by South African
President Thabo Mbeki were planned to
start after a speech by President
Mugabe to mark national Armed Forces Day,
a government official
said.
"It's unknowable when a deal will be reached but the president is
due back
from Zimbabwe later today," Mbeki spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga told
AFP.
The rivals have refused to comment on details of the talks, but a
South
African newspaper reported that the ruling ZANU-PF was blaming
opposition
leader Morgan Tsvangirai for stalling a deal.
"A ZANU-PF
official said Tsvangirai wanted a transfer of power to him and
not a deal to
share power," Business Day reported.
The Star newspaper, also in South
Africa, quoted a "member of the talks" as
saying the opposition was
objecting to Mugabe's insistence on holding on to
presidential powers, in an
apparent reference to offers that would see him
take on a more ceremonial
role.
Mugabe, Tsvangirai and the head of a smaller MDC faction, Arthur
Mutambara,
had spent some four hours at a Harare hotel on Monday in the
follow-up to
marathon talks the previous day.
Asked about sticking
points as he left the hotel last evening, the
84-year-old president said
"they will be overcome," adding that the talks
would continue
Tuesday.
Tsvangirai said as he exited that "we will advise on progress
later."
Both Mbeki's government and Mugabe had reported progress in the
talks ahead
of the South African leader's arrival in Harare on
Saturday.
But the political rivals have said little publicly about what
sticking
points were holding up the discussions over the last couple
days.
Speaking earlier Monday during commemorations honouring fighters
who died in
the liberation war against white minority rule, Mugabe said
Zimbabwe "was
not for sale" and "will never be a colony again".
He
also called for "unity guided by basic principles".
"If you are on the
enemy's side or you are being used by enemies, stop it,"
said
Mugabe.
The Zimbabwean leader has often sought to portray Tsvangirai as a
stooge of
former colonial power Britain, though his rhetoric has cooled in
recent
weeks after the two sides engaged in talks.
He said "when
somebody makes you turn against each other, you don't say we
are no longer
family members."
Sunday's talks broke up more than 13 hours after the
leaders gathered at the
hotel, with Mugabe saying afterwards he was
"confident" a deal was within
reach.
Zimbabwe's crisis intensified
after Mugabe's re-election in a June 27
presidential run-off widely
condemned as a sham.
Tsvangirai boycotted the presidential run-off
despite finishing ahead of
Mugabe in the March first round vote, citing
violence against his supporters
that had killed dozens and injured
thousands.
The opposition leader believes his first-round total gives him
the right to
the lion's share of power. The ruling ZANU-PF party has
insisted Mugabe must
be recognised as president in any deal, as he won on
June 27.
Negotiations have reportedly included proposals for Mugabe, who
has ruled
since independence from Britain in 1980, to take on a more
ceremonial role
in exchange for amnesty from prosecution, with Tsvangirai
being made
executive prime minister.
http://www.hararetribune.com/index.php?news=245
William Gumede | Updated: 11 August, 2008
01:41:00 GMT(-6)
There are fears both within and without Zimbabwe that the
GNU deal will
scuttle their chance of a clean new beginning, fears that are
coming true
each day
Just the idea that the Zimbabwean tyrant Robert
Mugabe will remain in power
for even longer is terribly unjust. Yet this is
what will happen under a
deal supervised by South African president Thabo
Mbeki, between Mugabe's
Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change that will be
sealed quite soon now. However, the urgency to get the
country out of its
morass demanded that negotiations take place, no matter
how morally
repugnant it is to sit down with a man who bears ultimate
responsibility for
Zimbabwe's crisis.
Another flaw of these
negotiations is that Zimbabwe's civil society groups,
whose feisty
opposition helped to push the unwilling Mugabe and Zanu-PF to
negotiate with
the opposition, have not been included in the talks. The
final deal that will
be sealed soon between Mugabe and the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC)
is unlikely to please everyone. The big stumbling
block from the beginning
was Mugabe's insistence that he should be
recognised as the official
president and should retain the widespread powers
he had enjoyed
before.
The MDC wanted the presidency to be a largely ceremonial
position. The final
outcome goes just about halfway: a presidency with
downgraded powers.
Agreeing to that meant Tsvangirai had implicitly accepted
the results of the
phoney June 27 presidential election in which there was
only candidate:
Mugabe. Mugabe has compromised on limiting the powers of the
presidency.
Tsvangirai has accepted the position as prime minister, with
significant
powers, but without "full" executive control - which the MDC
argued was fair
given the fact that it won the internationally accepted
March 29 elections.
Mugabe had initially insisted on a meaningless
vice-president position.
Ultimately, in the long term, Tsvangirai - and
ordinary Zimbabweans - could
still win big if he can pin down Mugabe to make
parliament the ultimate
power-broker in the transitional period. Until now
Mugabe has over-ruled
parliament.
But parliament's role's should be
strengthened. The MDC has a parliamentary
majority - and in combination with
the other opposition parties, may have an
even a larger one. The MDC must
insist on parliamentary and civilian
oversight over all the security forces.
Furthermore, the MDC must push for
at least split control of the security
departments.
Zimbabwe is run by a junta. Tsvangirai and the MDC should
insist on running
the economy, if not fully, then jointly. But an integral
part of the
agreements must also be an independent judiciary and electoral
commission,
with appointments to oversight bodies taken out of the hands of
the
president.
Tsvangirai should insist on bringing in direct
democracy through
referendums - which will also bring democracy closer to
the people while
helping to circumventi personal rule by the president. An
agreement that
sees power widely dispersed is the only way to make
co-governance with the
prickly Mugabe and Zanu-PF remotely tolerable. Part
of the deal must be to
put solid mechanisms in place to stop corruption,
human rights abuses and to
restore the rule of law, and bring some
accountability to the Zimbabwean
political system. Ultimately, the best deal
for the MDC is to have the
transition over as quickly as possible, within
less then 30 months, and then
go for fresh elections. Mugabe, not
surprisingly, insists on a full
five-year term.
Mugabe has not taken
instructions from anyone since taking power. Governing
jointly is going to
be a bumpy and frustrating one for Tsvangirai. The MDC
has negotiated with
its hands bound behind its back. Ordinary Zimbabweans
are facing the brunt
of Zimbabwe's crisis: starvation, human rights abuses,
arbitrary violence
and homelessness. Mugabe and Zanu-PF do not really care:
they are
cold-heartedly prepared to sacrifice ordinary people to stay in
power.
It is a no-win situation: the longer Tsvangirai holds out, the
worse it gets
for ordinary Zimbabweans. In the midst of the negotiations,
the Mugabe
regime and its proxies have continued unleashing violence against
ordinary
Zimbabweans to pressure the MDC negotiators to concede more. But
the Mugabe
regime is also feeling the heat. Zimbabwe's continuing financial
meltdown -
and the possibility of crippling sanctions if there is no
satisfactory
deal - means that Mugabe would be running out of hard cash to
maintain his
opulent lifestyle and his ability to pork-barrel his
supporters. Britain and
the US could now play a constructive role upon
agreement of a deal by giving
the money promised (but not given) at
independence for land reform, by
scrapping some of the country's debts and
by providing assistance without
conditions, except transparency ones.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Tuesday, 12 August 2008 09:20
The talks broke off yesterday after a tense session at the end of
which
Morgan Tsvangirai spelt out in clear terms what he was
wanting from
the
talks. All parties are now reviewing their
positions and they will
come back
this afternoon for another
session. Mbeki was here originally for two
days
has now been here
for four and this demonstrates the importance he
gives to
these
talks and their consequence for Zimbabwe, South Africa and the
region.
This morning my staff told me that the Rand was now
trading at Z$90
billion
to 1 on the street. Yesterday it was Z$75
billion, a week ago it was
Z$25
billion. In my business the average
inflation in June was 2,5 million
percent - in July it soared to 32
million on average for the month.
The news
that it might have
topped 42 million does not surprise me. How much
longer
can this go
on and why this sudden surge in inflation and the collapse
of
the
currency - we have never seen such conditions.
The State certainly
cannot cope with these conditions - they cannot
pay
their staff and
the armed forces. They cannot protect their assets. As
this
rate
the new currency will be worthless in two weeks. Then what do
they
do?
There is now only one solution to the crisis and that is to do
a deal
and
get international help to sort out the economy. To do
that Mugabe and
his
cronies have to accept that they are no longer
in control - power has
passed
to a new generation of leaders. They
can negotiate the best deal for
themselves thereafter - but the basics
have to be acknowledged and
accepted.
If they do not accept
this and are not obliged to do so by regional
pressure
then the
consequences for all of us - including those in the regime
today,
will be dire.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 12th August
2008
Date: 12 Aug 2008 On July 21, 2008 President Robert Mugabe, leader of the ruling Zimbabwe
African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), and Morgan Tsvangirai, leader
of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), signed a Memorandum of
Understanding in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, paving the way for talks to resolve
the country’s political impasse. President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa,
appointed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to help address
Zimbabwe’s ongoing political crisis, is facilitating the talks between the two
political parties. Mbeki is expected to brief SADC leaders on the progress of
the talks at the annual SADC summit in Sandton, South Africa on August 16 and
17. The summit provides SADC leaders with an opportunity to effectively press
Zimbabwe’s leadership to address crucial human rights issues prior to any
transitional government arising from the current negotiations. Human Rights
Watch believes that no durable solution to the political crisis in Zimbabwe can
be found unless the human rights violations that are at the root cause of the
crisis are addressed. The government of Zimbabwe and its proxy forces of youth militia(1) and “war
veterans”(2) have committed and continue to commit serious crimes in the context
of general elections that took place on March 29, 2008, and the presidential
runoff of June 27. This report follows Human Rights Watch’s June 9 report,
“Bullets for Each of You”: State-Sponsored Violence since Zimbabwe’s March 29
Elections, which gave a comprehensive account of government-sponsored abuses
that took place in the aftermath of the March 29 general elections. This report
is based on eyewitness accounts from newly elected MDC Members of Parliament
(MPs), councilors, activists, perceived MDC supporters and others to demonstrate
the serious nature of abuses committed by ZANU-PF supporters and
government-backed youth militia and “war veterans” in the weeks leading up to
the June 27 presidential runoff. These abuses include killings, beatings,
abductions and torture. This report also describes abuses by ZANU-PF that continue to take place
despite ongoing negotiations between the two parties. Hundreds of MDC activists
who fled the violence in the weeks before the June 27 runoff remain in hiding
while “war veterans” and youth militia continue to terrorize villagers in the
rural areas. According to local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), ZANU-PF
and its allies have been implicated in the killing of at least 163 people and
the beating and torture of more than 5,000 people over the past three months.
Thirty-two of these people were killed after the June 27 runoff, and two since
the two parties signed the Memorandum of Understanding. The government has made
little effort to dismantle the torture camps and bases that it established in
the immediate aftermath of the March 29 elections. The continued existence of these camps and armed ZANU-PF supporters, youth
militia and “war veterans” raises the possibility of further violence and
highlights the precarious nature of the human rights situation in the country.
Abuses continue to take place with almost total impunity. Serious crimes are
committed without investigation, prosecution or legal redress or compensation
for the victims. Police have taken little or no substantial action to
investigate the abuses documented in this report. To Human Rights Watch’s
knowledge no alleged perpetrators have been questioned or arrested despite
victims and witnesses naming them as the abusers. Instead, the police have
embarked on a witch-hunt of elected MDC MPs with at least 12 facing what Human
Rights Watch believes to be politically motivated criminal charges. The
government of Zimbabwe has also failed to investigate, let alone prosecute,
ZANU-PF officials and army officers who allegedly planned, coordinated, and
implemented or were otherwise implicated in the serious crimes that have taken
place since March 29. The lack of justice and accountability for serious crimes is of grave concern
and should be a priority for all those involved in the ongoing talks. Zimbabwe’s
longstanding history of impunity for such crimes should not be ignored in the
name of political expediency, and should be immediately addressed by the
political parties with the help of SADC and the African Union. Continuing government restrictions on the distribution of humanitarian
assistance including food aid and treatment for people living with AIDS by local
and international agencies have had a devastating impact on people in the rural
areas of Zimbabwe with millions of people in need of food aid. In the past the
government has used food aid as a political weapon to discriminate against
opposition supporters. The current suspension points to continuing attempts by
the government to control the distribution of humanitarian assistance and deny
it to perceived supporters of the MDC. The continuing violence, repression and suspension of humanitarian aid by
ZANU-PF shows the absence of good faith in which Mugabe and ZANU-PF are
participating in the current talks. The appalling human rights conditions also
call into question ZANU-PF’s credibility as a political partner. The political
crisis calls for more than mere facilitation by Thabo Mbeki; it requires strong
and principled action by SADC leaders and SADC as an institution. SADC leaders
should make it clear to Mugabe and ZANU-PF that a resolution to the crisis can
only be reached if his government acts immediately to end human rights
violations. The government of Zimbabwe must make concrete commitments and take
clear action to improve human rights conditions on the ground if the people of
Zimbabwe are to have any confidence in the political negotiations. SADC should insist on a full program of human rights reform as a part of any
negotiations towards a transitional government and on measurable human rights
progress. If the government of Zimbabwe fails to initiate these measures, SADC
should consider excluding Zimbabwe from any future summits and meetings of the
regional body. Human Rights Watch urges SADC leaders to call on the government of Zimbabwe
to take the following measures without delay: - End the violent campaign against MDC activists and perceived MDC supporters
by state security forces, ZANU-PF supporters and officials, youth militia and
“war veterans.” - Ensure that the police immediately dismantle all torture camps and bases
throughout the country and prosecute those responsible for torture and other
mistreatment. - Cease the politically motivated arrests of MDC officials and activists, and
release those arbitrarily detained. - Ensure that police take swift and impartial action to protect all
Zimbabweans from human rights violations and to investigate all
politically-motivated killings and assaults. - Lift the suspension against local and international humanitarian agencies
providing assistance in the country. - Demobilize and disarm all ZANU-PF supporters and officials, youth militia
and “war veterans.” - Suspend from duty, investigate and fairly prosecute government officials,
military officers, soldiers, and police officers responsible for serious
violations of international human rights. - In accordance with international standards, convene an independent
commission of inquiry to investigate reports of extrajudicial executions,
torture and ill-treatment. - Ensure that those implicated in serious human rights abuses are excluded
from any future government. © Copyright, Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor New York,
NY 10118-3299 USA
Summary
Full_Report
(pdf* format - 152.8 Kbytes)
Reuters
Tue 12 Aug
2008, 4:19 GMT
CANBERRA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - About 20 Catholic pilgrims
who attended World
Day Youth services in Australia with Pope Benedict XVI
last month have
claimed asylum, with more applications expected, refugee
advocates said on
Tuesday.
The majority of applicants were from
Africa, including Zimbabwe, where
political and economic upheaval have
driven millions to flee, as well as
Cameroon, Burundi and Kenya, the
Sydney-based Asylum Seeker Centre said.
"We are seeing utter destitution,
we see malnutrition, we are seeing
depression, we see homelessness. People
are coming to us from a place of
crisis," centre spokeswoman Tamara Domicelj
told Reuters.
Rights watchdog Amnesty International said more of the
100,000 overseas
pilgrims who attended World Youth Day would seek asylum
once special
three-month visitor visas expired. An estimated 3,000 were
still in the
country.
"There are still a number of people in the
community who came out during
World Youth Day. There is certainly an
expectation that some will decide to
seek asylum rather that return,"
Amnesty International refugee co-ordinator
Graham Thom said. Australia's new
centre-left government last month dumped
mandatory detention in special
immigration jails for asylum hopefuls, saying
it would now be used only for
people who posed a risk to the community.
The policy overturned a
controversial practice enforced by the previous
government of sending asylum
seekers to small Pacific nations for
processing. Many spent years behind
razor wire awaiting refugee visas.
Immigration officials refused to
comment on the latest applications, which
also included some from
Pakistan.
Sydney's Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, said while
the church
was sympathetic to the claims of pilgrims for refuge in
Australia, they had
to follow Australian laws. (Reporting by Rob Taylor;
Editing by David
Fogarty)