HARARE —
Industry Minister Welshman Ncube says Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe are deliberately flouting the Global Political Agreement and Southern African Development Community (SADC) resolutions on the Zimbabwe crisis.
Ncube, who is the leader of the other Movement for Democratic Change formation, told journalists Wednesday after meeting South African president Jacob Zuma’s facilitation team at his party’s headquarters in Harare that President Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai “have re-written the GPA to exclude his party.”
He said the GPA is being undermined on a daily basis and the two are openly defying a Maputo SADC summit resolution directing them and their parties to recognise him as a principal and work with his MDC formation in implementing the GPA and crafting the road map to the country’s next crucial election.
Ncube alleged that Mr. Tsvangirai and President Mugabe’s actions prove they want to sideline SADC from the elections process.
He said SADC is now fully aware of the chaos that is taking place following Wednesday’s meeting.
The South African facilitation team arrived in Harare on Tuesday for talks with the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee co-chairpersons and GPA partners.
Ncube said he was invited to the principals meeting Tuesday by an official from Mr. Tsvangirai’s office and two ministers from his party - James Timba and Finance Minister Tendai Biti - but was blocked from attending the meeting by Mr. Mugabe.
He said it was after that meeting that Mr. Tsvangirai made the announcement that the principals had appointed Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga from their two respective parties to re-write the elections roadmap map excluding his MDC formation.
This, Mr. Ncube said, means Mr. Chinamasa and Mr. Matinenga will be responsible for all the amendements to the Electoral Act and the political roadmap signed by the three parties on media, security sector reforms, among others crucial issues that need to be addressed ahead of the polls.
Ncube wants SADC to intervene urgently saying his party will not recognise decisions from processes it was excluded from.
He said SADC as guarantors of the GPA should make it clear that they will not recognise the outcome of the elections if the process leading to the polls is not inclusive.
The industry minister said the facilititation team will prepare a report for President Jacob Zuma and SADC troika chair President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania.
Ncube said the principals forum is causing confusion that works well for Zanu PF’s agenda, adding there’s a risk that parliament may be dissolved before effecting amendments to the Electoral Act.
He said given what is happening between MDC-T and Zanu PF the question of a coalition is out.
Commenting on the UN elections assessment team, Mr. Ncube said the UN will not give any funds for elections to a country that gives them tough operating conditions.
The UN team had planned a visit to Zimbabwe following its request for financial assistance to run polls but disagreements between the MDC-T and Zanu PF and the UN saw the team going back to New York without entering Harare. Only the head of the team had meetings Sunday with Mr. Bti and Chinamasa in the city.
Mr. Chinamasa told journalists Wednesday that Zimbabwe has since withdrawn its request for funds from the United Nations. But Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka told VOA Studio 7 the request still stands.
Harare says it needs at least $132 million for elections scheduled for later this year.
Ncube, who is the leader of the other Movement for Democratic Change formation, told journalists Wednesday after meeting South African president Jacob Zuma’s facilitation team at his party’s headquarters in Harare that President Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai “have re-written the GPA to exclude his party.”
He said the GPA is being undermined on a daily basis and the two are openly defying a Maputo SADC summit resolution directing them and their parties to recognise him as a principal and work with his MDC formation in implementing the GPA and crafting the road map to the country’s next crucial election.
Ncube alleged that Mr. Tsvangirai and President Mugabe’s actions prove they want to sideline SADC from the elections process.
He said SADC is now fully aware of the chaos that is taking place following Wednesday’s meeting.
The South African facilitation team arrived in Harare on Tuesday for talks with the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee co-chairpersons and GPA partners.
Ncube said he was invited to the principals meeting Tuesday by an official from Mr. Tsvangirai’s office and two ministers from his party - James Timba and Finance Minister Tendai Biti - but was blocked from attending the meeting by Mr. Mugabe.
He said it was after that meeting that Mr. Tsvangirai made the announcement that the principals had appointed Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga from their two respective parties to re-write the elections roadmap map excluding his MDC formation.
This, Mr. Ncube said, means Mr. Chinamasa and Mr. Matinenga will be responsible for all the amendements to the Electoral Act and the political roadmap signed by the three parties on media, security sector reforms, among others crucial issues that need to be addressed ahead of the polls.
Ncube wants SADC to intervene urgently saying his party will not recognise decisions from processes it was excluded from.
He said SADC as guarantors of the GPA should make it clear that they will not recognise the outcome of the elections if the process leading to the polls is not inclusive.
The industry minister said the facilititation team will prepare a report for President Jacob Zuma and SADC troika chair President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania.
Ncube said the principals forum is causing confusion that works well for Zanu PF’s agenda, adding there’s a risk that parliament may be dissolved before effecting amendments to the Electoral Act.
He said given what is happening between MDC-T and Zanu PF the question of a coalition is out.
Commenting on the UN elections assessment team, Mr. Ncube said the UN will not give any funds for elections to a country that gives them tough operating conditions.
The UN team had planned a visit to Zimbabwe following its request for financial assistance to run polls but disagreements between the MDC-T and Zanu PF and the UN saw the team going back to New York without entering Harare. Only the head of the team had meetings Sunday with Mr. Bti and Chinamasa in the city.
Mr. Chinamasa told journalists Wednesday that Zimbabwe has since withdrawn its request for funds from the United Nations. But Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka told VOA Studio 7 the request still stands.
Harare says it needs at least $132 million for elections scheduled for later this year.
