/ 14 November 2008

MDC says it will not join Zim govt

Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will not join a unity government with President Robert Mugabe until all issues in power-sharing talks are resolved, a party official said on Friday after a meeting to decide whether to take part.

The party also said it had uncovered a plot to assassinate its leaders, further increasing chances that deadlocked negotiations will collapse.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has accused Mugabe of trying to take control of the most powerful ministries and freeze out his party in violation of the September 15 agreement seen as the best hope of rescuing Zimbabwe’s wrecked economy.

MDC vice-president Thokozani Khupe told reporters that a meeting of the party’s top leadership had resolved not to join a government until all outstanding issues in the talks were concluded. The Constitution also had to been changed to enact a unity government and to provide for the posts of prime minister and deputy prime minister, he said.

”Neither Robert Mugabe nor Zanu-PF has the legitimacy to form a government,” Khupe said, confirming an earlier Reuters report. He said the MDC would campaign against any attempt by Mugabe to form a government now.

The MDC decision came after a meeting of the party’s executive on Friday to decide on whether to join a government with Mugabe’s Zanu-PF under a power-sharing deal that is in danger of crumbling.

Khupe did not expand on the party’s allegations of an assassination plot.

”The [MDC] national council notes with concern … the crafting of an assassination plot intended to eliminate the leadership of the MDC,” she said.

Although Tsvangirai flatly rejected a resolution in a summit of regional leaders last Sunday calling for the two sides to share control of the Home Affairs Ministry — the main sticking point — a minority of the MDC executive had appeared to favour joining the government.

Kupe said the party implored the regional Southern African Development Community and the continental body, the African Union, to step in and take action to ensure the Zimbabwean crisis is settled.

SADC countries have failed to persuade Zimbabwe’s parties, including a breakaway MDC faction, to bury their differences and move on to the daunting task of easing an economic crisis.

‘Suffering of the people’
Meanwhile, former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan will next week visit Zimbabwe to assess the humanitarian crisis in that country, the Elders, an organisation comprising outstanding leaders from various sectors, said on Friday.

Annan, who will be accompanied by former United States President Jimmy Carter and international advocate for women and children’s rights Graça Machel, said Zimbabwe’s political leaders had a duty to rise above their political differences and focus on the unfolding humanitarian crisis in their country.

”Relieving the suffering of millions of people must be the priority of Zimbabwe’s leaders,” he said in a statement.

The visit was also aimed at drawing global attention to the Zimbabwean crisis.

”We hope that our visit will also add momentum to the global response to longer-term issues of reform and development once an inclusive government is in place and operational.

”It is crucial that the international community supports a Zimbabwe-led process of recovery, and provides sufficient funding for its implementation,” Annan said

The former UN secretary general stressed that the delegation would not be involved in the current political negotiations.

”However, we urge Zimbabwe’s political leaders to move swiftly to fully implement the September 15 agreement, particularly the provisions on humanitarian and food assistance. Delays in forming a government are prolonging the suffering of the people,” he said. — Reuters, Sapa