/ 17 May 2010

Tsvangirai wants SADC summit on Zim

Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Sunday called for an immediate Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit to resolve major disagreements stalling a power-sharing government with his long-time rival President Robert Mugabe.

“The party urges the immediate convening of a SADC summit to resolve the matter which SADC summit should clearly discuss the road map to an election and gurantees to the legitimacy of this election,” Tsvangirai told a news conference after an executive meeting of his Movement for Democratic Change.

Tsvangirai added that the “parties and principals of the parties must take measures to implement and execute the agreed position.”

Since the setting up of the power sharing agreement last year, Mugabe and Tsvangirai have failed to resolve issues which include the swearing in of Roy Bennett and the appointment of a central bank governor and attorney general.

Tsvangirai also reiterated that his party will not change its position on forwarding Bennett’s name as their appointee for the post of the deputy minister of agriculture.

“On a matter of principle ZANU-PF and President Mugabe have no right to appoint anyone in cabinet other than ourselves, because they don’t have that veto power.

“Secondly ZANU-PF cannot make a position that Bennett cannot [be sworn in]. It’s not a state position,” Tsvangirai said. — Sapa-AFP