zimfinalpush
"We will never talk to MDC"-Zanu(PF)
19-04-07)
HARARE - The ruling Zanu (PF) party has said it will "never" hold talks with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) charging it was an appendage of the West, effectively giving the SADC and South African President Thabo Mbeki the middle finger.
Southern African leaders last month appointed Mbeki to head efforts aimed at promoting dialogue between President Robert Mugabe's Zanu (PF) party and the MDC. But even before the ink has dried on the SADC initiative, the ruling party is already dithering.
Mbeki, who since 2000 led collapsed talks between the country's political protagonists in a bid to rescue the tattered economy and chaotic politics in Zimbabwe, has repeatedly been slammed for his "quiet diplomacy," a hear-no-evil, see-no-evil policy that has seen Zimbabwe sink deeper and deeper into crisis.
Mbeki has said he believed all sides in Zimbabwe agreed that political talks were the best way to address the crisis.
But Zanu (PF) spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira said the ruling party had no business talking to "puppets of the West."
"We cannot talk to them when they go behind our backs," Shamuyarira said. "They must first change their anti-people stance, and show to us that they are no longer a puppet party. If they want serious talks with us they must come as true Zimbabweans not as puppets of the West. First the MDC should withdraw its call for Zimbabwe to be isolated. They must go back to their masters and tell them to lift sanctions before they can talk to President Mugabe."
Mbeki last week wrote to Mugabe, and the two MDC leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara informing them about the terms of reference of the talks. In a response seen by The Zimbabwean, the MDC stated that it would not compromise on demands for a new constitution before the poll.
But Shamuyarira said: "We are not going to have a new constitution now and we don't know what they are talking about. We proposed a new constitution and it was rejected by the same opposition that is now calling for a new constitution now. They rejected it after it took us two years to prepare after wide consultations and, being a democratic party we accepted the verdict. It is only seven years and we cannot go on writing a constitution every seven years. A constitution is written for a lifetime."
Tsvangirai has warned that his MDC might not participate in the 2008 elections if there is no new democratic constitution that guarantees free and fair elections, charging Mugabe has abused the constitution to give himself an unfair advantage.
The governing party has already shown contempt for talks with the MDC. At Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, a decision was officially made to retain the 83-year-old Mugabe as Zanu (PF) presidential candidate and to limit the presidential term from six years to five. The number of seats in the Upper and Lower chambers of Parliament would be increased.
The changes endorsed by Cabinet paves the way for Mugabe to stay in power until the age of 90.
Cabinet has also approved changes to the rules enabling the ageing despot to die in office, or if he resigns, the Zanu (PF)-dominated Parliament to elect a successor, instead of holding an election.
The ruling party would make these changes through a constitutional amendment, meaning any considerations of having a new constitution are completely out of the way.
Southern African leaders last month appointed Mbeki to head efforts aimed at promoting dialogue between President Robert Mugabe's Zanu (PF) party and the MDC. But even before the ink has dried on the SADC initiative, the ruling party is already dithering.
Mbeki, who since 2000 led collapsed talks between the country's political protagonists in a bid to rescue the tattered economy and chaotic politics in Zimbabwe, has repeatedly been slammed for his "quiet diplomacy," a hear-no-evil, see-no-evil policy that has seen Zimbabwe sink deeper and deeper into crisis.
Mbeki has said he believed all sides in Zimbabwe agreed that political talks were the best way to address the crisis.
But Zanu (PF) spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira said the ruling party had no business talking to "puppets of the West."
"We cannot talk to them when they go behind our backs," Shamuyarira said. "They must first change their anti-people stance, and show to us that they are no longer a puppet party. If they want serious talks with us they must come as true Zimbabweans not as puppets of the West. First the MDC should withdraw its call for Zimbabwe to be isolated. They must go back to their masters and tell them to lift sanctions before they can talk to President Mugabe."
Mbeki last week wrote to Mugabe, and the two MDC leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara informing them about the terms of reference of the talks. In a response seen by The Zimbabwean, the MDC stated that it would not compromise on demands for a new constitution before the poll.
But Shamuyarira said: "We are not going to have a new constitution now and we don't know what they are talking about. We proposed a new constitution and it was rejected by the same opposition that is now calling for a new constitution now. They rejected it after it took us two years to prepare after wide consultations and, being a democratic party we accepted the verdict. It is only seven years and we cannot go on writing a constitution every seven years. A constitution is written for a lifetime."
Tsvangirai has warned that his MDC might not participate in the 2008 elections if there is no new democratic constitution that guarantees free and fair elections, charging Mugabe has abused the constitution to give himself an unfair advantage.
The governing party has already shown contempt for talks with the MDC. At Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, a decision was officially made to retain the 83-year-old Mugabe as Zanu (PF) presidential candidate and to limit the presidential term from six years to five. The number of seats in the Upper and Lower chambers of Parliament would be increased.
The changes endorsed by Cabinet paves the way for Mugabe to stay in power until the age of 90.
Cabinet has also approved changes to the rules enabling the ageing despot to die in office, or if he resigns, the Zanu (PF)-dominated Parliament to elect a successor, instead of holding an election.
The ruling party would make these changes through a constitutional amendment, meaning any considerations of having a new constitution are completely out of the way.
(c)The Zimbabwean
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