23/07/2008 14:28 - (SA)
Tsvangirai first to act on MoU
By Tangai Chipangura in Harare
ZIMBABWE'S Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai was the first signatory to Monday's Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement the agreement's immediate requirements.
On Tuesday, Tsvangirai issued an open letter to Zimbabweans condemning violence and calling on his supporters to desist from acts that might provoke violence or disturb peace.
"For my part, I call on all Zimbabweans who believe in the ideals of democracy as espoused by the MDC, to continue to abide by the rule of law, to live in a spirit of tolerance and inclusiveness in the knowledge that if we work together in this spirit, a better future lies ahead and justice will prevail," said Tsvangirai.
The MoU signed by Zimbabwe's three main political parties including arch-rivals, the Zanu PF and the MDC, sets out certain interim measures that each party must take.
The measures includes issuing public statements condemning violence, taking measures to eliminate existing political violence and that all parties work together to ensure the displacement of persons and their safe return to their places of origin.
It is also one important requirement that all parties refrain from using hate speech forthwith.
Tsvangirai fulfilled most of these requirements in his letter yesterday as he stressed that the Memorandum offered "the most tangible opportunity in the past ten years to improve the lives of our fellow citizens."
"We believe that wanting a more democratic future or expressing an alternative political opinion should be viewed as a right, and not as a declaration of war. We believe that the will of the people is the fundamental basis on which to ground our negotiations."
The MDC leader reiterated his party's call for an immediate stop to the persecution of its officials including several MPs who are still in hiding. He also called for the restoration of humanitarian aid systems that were grounded by government in the run up to the June 27 presidential election runoff.
"In the spirit of a shared vision to heal our nation, I call upon my fellow signatories to join me in putting aside our differences and acknowledging that we have a responsibility to the people of Zimbabwe to show true leadership and to find agreement that will bring an end to the violence, polarisation, poverty and fear in which we have all been living for too long. Our fellow countrymen and women look to us to find common ground that will allow us, as a nation, to chart a democratic path forward," Tsvangirai concluded.
Mixed reaction to MoU
Meanwhile Monday's historic event has been met with mixed reactions.
Leader of Zimbabwe's civic society, Lovemore Madhuku who is also chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) said the signing of the MoU was "an illegitimate process".
"The MoU itself was an illegitimate proposal. You can not have two or three political parties sitting by themselves purporting to work out solutions to the entire nation's problems without involving civic society.
"This is just a power-sharing arrangement between the political parties which does not bring to an end the suffering of the people of this country. There are only two scenarios expected to emerge out of this process, none of which will help Zimbabweans. One is the formation of a government of national unity and another is the collapse of the talks," said Madhuku.
Former spokesperson for the Arthur Mutambara faction of the MDC Gabriel Chaibva said the development was a great opportunity for Zimbabwe but cautioned the opposition parties against going into the talks "big-headed".
"I wish to caution in very strong terms against the MDC going into these talks with pre-conditions or with issues trivia to the main issues. They must go there with a clear mind and not raise matters that are bound to derail the talks," said Chaibva.
Chaibva who was recently suspended pending dismissal by his party for defying the party leadership by attending Mugabe's controversial inauguration on June 29, has of late courted a lot of state media attention by his open vilification of his own party.
He has called Tsvangirai an incapable leader who did not have anything to show to prove his worth, but at the same time insisting the same Tsvangirai was a key component to any negotiated settlement in Zimbabwe without whom, nothing could succeed.
An insider within Zanu PF, who stressed he should not be identified, said the two-week deadline that signatories to the MoU gave themselves to deliver was realistic since most pertinent issues had already been discussed during the past 30 months of negotiations.
"Most of these issues have already been thrashed out. What remains for discussion are a few key issues such as who would lead this transitional authority ... issues of who will be who ... and just tightening up some loose ends," said the source whose position in the ruling party makes him privy to discussions at a high level.
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