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Zimbabwe Crisis Reports, 27-Aug-08

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Zimbabwe Crisis Reports, 27-Aug-08 ZIMBABWE CRISIS REPORTS AUGUST 27, 2008 Fresh insights into the Zimbabwean situation CONVENING PARLIAMENT CONTRAVENES EARLIER DEAL But election of an MDC member as speaker is major setback for president’s plans to control legislature. By Benedict Unendoro in Harare President Robert Mugabe convened Zimbabwe’s new parliament this week in clear violation of the agreement which governs the now stalled negotiations between his ZANU-PF and the two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara. The talks, an attempt to end the Credit: Lazele impasse which has paralysed the body politic since ZANU-PF lost the The newly elected speaker of parliament, Lovemore Moyo, pictured in parliament soon general election on 29 March, ground after being elected. Picture taken August 25. NEWS IN BRIEF Zimbabwe’s new parliament, elected August 16-17 summit of the Southern was arrested as he entered the on March 29, convened for its formal African Development Community, parliament building. A second MDC opening on August 26. President SADC, the regional grouping parliamentarian detained at the same Robert Mugabe attended, as did a overseeing the negotiations. The time was freed in time to take part in number of senior officials from the SADC meeting signalled its assent for the secret ballot. Movement for Democratic Change, parliament to be convened, implying MDC, despite talk of a boycott by that a new prime minister and cabinet ZANU-PF, with 99 seats, did not put opposition members, AFP reported. could also be named soon. This up a candidate. Moyo was challenged seemed to go against earlier by Paul Themba Nyathi, nominated by The bigger of two MDC factions, led agreements which required the the minority MDC faction of Arthur by Morgan Tsvangirai, was concerned power-sharing agreement to be nailed Mutambara. Nyathi won 98 votes, that convening parliament would down before any governing although the Mutambara group has undermine the ongoing negotiations institutions were constituted. only ten seats in the lower house. over whether its leader or Mugabe should wield real executive power in On August 25, a day before the In the upper house or Senate, ZANU- a power-sharing arrangement in opening of parliament, the lower PF candidate Edna Madzongwe which the former would serve as house elected Lovemore Moyo of the emerged as the winner in a contest prime minister under the latter. MDC’s main faction as its speaker. for the post of chair, also held on Moyo won by 110 of the 208 votes August 25. She won 58 votes As of August 26, the protracted talks cast. One of the two missing votes — compared with the 28 received by between Mugabe and Tsvangirai had the chamber has 210 seats — Gibson Sibanda, who in this case was not produced a settlement, despite an belonged to an MDC member who backed by both MDC factions. AUGUST 27, 2008 1 THE INSTITUTE FOR WAR AND PEACE REPORTING to a halt last week when Tsvangirai speaker of the lower house put up by More than a month after the much- refused to sign the last of a series of the Tsvangirai faction, defeated the vaunted signing of the memorandum documents as it became apparent that Mutambara faction’s candidate, Paul of understanding and the start of he was to be no more than a Themba Nyathi, by 110 votes to 98 in negotiations mediated by South ceremonial prime minister in a a secret ballot held on August 25. That African president Thabo Mbeki and government led by Mugabe as put paid to Mugabe’s hope of intended to last a mere two weeks, it executive president. regaining the control of parliament he appears that the opposing factions are lost in the general election. ZANU-PF no closer to reaching agreement about Mugabe’s defiant move came in the did not field a candidate for the post. who should lead the country. This will wake of a communiqué issued by a complicate the selection of a cabinet, summit of the Southern African ZANU-PF did, however, triumph in the likely to be Mugabe’s next step. Development Community, SADC, held Senate or upper house of parliament, in Johannesburg on August 16-17, where its candidate, Edina An analyst who requested anonymity giving him permission to convene Madzongwe, won the post of chair said the solution to the country’s parliament. later on August 25. Although the political and economic crisis was now March poll left the Senate split 50-50 in the hands of both Mugabe and between ZANU-PF and the opposition, Tsvangirai, but that the latter would be Mugabe had powers to appoint negotiating from a stronger position Mugabe moved to convene senators directly. Madzongwe won than he had in the recent past. parliament after regional with 58 votes, 30 more than her rival Gibson Sibanda, who, in this ballot, summit gave its assent. was supported by both MDC groupings. “Mutambara’s political life Commentators believe the result in the has ended… his flirtation The SADC decision trumped clause lower house will have far-reaching with Mugabe was bound to nine of the memorandum of implications. see him disgraced” – Harare understanding signed by Mugabe and the two MDC leaders on July 21, “It seems the MDC has re-united de resident Alex Dhewa. which stated that as long as talks facto,” said Alex Dhewa, a Harare continued, participants would not resident who supports Tsvangirai. “We “take any decisions or measure that must remember that the split in 2005 have a bearing on the agenda of the was engineered by a small clique. We “It can be argued that Tsvangirai now dialogue, save by consensus. Such always suspected that the rank-and- commands an absolute majority in decisions or measures include, but are file membership in Matabeleland did parliament and in the negotiations. not limited to the convening of not support the split. Now this has With Mutambara out of the way, parliament or the formation of a new been confirmed.” Mugabe can no longer push government.” Tsvangirai around as he has been In the negotiations over power-sharing, doing.” Analysts believe the convening of Mutambara has lent his support to the parliament was intended to pressure arrangements proposed by Mugabe, Another analyst who asked not to be Tsvangirai into signing an agreement which would relegate Tsvangirai to a named predicted that “although the that would result in a government of toothless, ceremonial role as future political impasse is set to continue, national unity. prime minister. with the economy in the state it is now, we might see a more determined Mugabe had threatened to form a Dhewa believes the leadership of the effort to conclude the inter-party government with Mutambara’s minority smaller MDC faction has been fatally talks”. faction of the MDC. ZANU-PF has 99 compromised. members of parliament and if they all Others, however, believe the task of sided with the Mutambara faction’s ten “Mutambara’s political life has ended, governing the country is about to members plus Mugabe’s former and for him to sit at the same become even more difficult, since spokesman and now independent negotiating table as Morgan Tsvangirai Mugabe could use his extensive member of parliament Jonathan Moyo, and Robert Mugabe would be powers as president to overrule the 100 members of the Tsvangirai ridiculous,” he said. “What Mutambara parliament, while the ZANU-PF-led faction would be outvoted. forgot was that the people of Senate can stop the passage of Matabeleland, whom Mugabe legislation emanating from the lower However, not everything went brutalised in the 1980s, would never house. Mugabe’s way. In a shock throw their lot with ZANU-PF, so his development, Lovemore Moyo, the flirtation with Mugabe was bound to Benedict Unendoro is the pseudonym candidate for the key position of see him disgraced.” of a reporter in Zimbabwe. 2 AUGUST 27, 2008 ZIMBABWE CRISIS REPORTS TSVANGIRAI REJECTS MUGABE’S POWER-SHARING TERMS Opposition leader not prepared to play second fiddle to Mugabe in a new government. By Jabu Shoko in Harare The contentious issue of who wields real power in a new government of national unity appears to be the key issue stalling negotiations for a solution to Zimbabwe’s political impasse. Analysts said the ball was now in the court of the Southern African Development Community, SADC, which has been leading the Credit: Lazele negotiating process. However, when Arthur Mutambara addresses a press conference at his house in Harare. Picture taken the regional grouping met in August 13. Johannesburg on August 18-19, it failed to move the negotiations on, although it did give approval for dialogue, was in total agreement with There are allegations that both ZANU- parliament to convene. proposals put forward by Mugabe and PF and the Mutambara camp his ZANU-PF, including the reneged on a draft constitution On August 25, a day before the formal appointment of Mutambara to the post agreed to by all three parties during opening of parliament, the lower house of deputy prime minister under South African president Thabo elected Lovemore Moyo of the MDC’s Tsvangirai. Mbeki’s earlier stages as the SADC- main faction as its speaker. Moyo won appointed mediator for the by 110 of the 208 votes cast. The Zimbabwean crisis. ballot result was a clear victory for the MDC. ZANU-PF did not even nominate Minority MDC faction “There has to be an injection of new a candidate, and the remaining 98 appears to back format ideas,” said Eldred Masunungure, a votes went to Paul Themba Nyathi, political scientist who has been proposed by the minority MDC faction, proposed by Mugabe.
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