Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party is blaming main oppositionMovement for Democratic Change (MDC) for the ongoing impasse in forming a unitygovernment. Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa reportedly accused the MDC of prejudicingthe ongoing talks by trying to negotiate in public. The MDChas described the ZANU-PF accusation as unfounded, adding that the ruling partyis reneging on its promise to equitably share power as stipulated in therecently signed agreement.
Meanwhile, Zimbabweans arereportedly expressing fear that the lack of a breakthrough in the talks couldfurther worsen the economic crisis with an inflation rate of about 11 millionpercent.
GlenMpani is the regional coordinator for the Transitional Justice Program of theCenter for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in Cape Town, South Africa.He tells reporter Peter Clottey the ruling party is not acting in good faith atthe ongoing negotiations.
"I think it is importantthat we need to understand that the whole idea of blocking the publicity ofthese negotiations was quite unreasonable, and I think it is the reason we arewhere we are right now. The ZANU-PF reason for trying to gag the MDC not topublicize what is going on is simply a way of trying to avoid international andregional attention to their machinations to try and ensure that they hold on topower using the allocation of ministries,"Mpani noted.
Hesaid the ruling party is breaking its promise in the recently signed powersharing agreement.
"Ifyou would remember the negotiation agreement was signed on the premise thatthere was going to be a 50-50 power sharing, but ZANU-PF would want to renege onthe distribution of posts for governance. So basically, they would want to rakein the MDC as an appendage of ZANU-PF rather than an equal partner in agovernment of national unity," he said.
Mpani said the ruling ZANU-PF's accusation isunfounded.
"Theassertion is not justified because we have got a background and a context tothe current crisis in Zimbabwe. It would be foolish on the part of ZANU-PF toassume that they would want to control the ministries like Finance, and theycannot also on to say they want to hold on to Home Affairs because they havetold the MDC that they are going to take the Security and the Army ministry andthat means they should also have to give the MDC Home Affairs ministry. So, Ithink what is important is that the key ministries that ZANU-PF is refusing tocede are the ones that are going to drive the process of reforming Zimbabwe,"Mpani pointed out.
Hesaid the international community need to be reassured of stability in Zimbabwebefore any assistance is given to help resolve the country's economic crisis.
"Forregional and international players to start pouring money into the country orto have confidence in the country, they need to see that there is a process ofreforming. Someone needs to be in charge that they can trust. The reason whyZANU-PF is refusing to cede these ministries is one they are worried that ifJustice and Home Affairs goes to the MDC, they might be prosecuted for humanrights abuses that they have committed," he said.
Mpanisaid the opposition MDC made a mistake by signing the power sharing agreementwith President Robert Mugabe's government before negotiations were concluded.
"They(MDC) committed one of their worse errors in their political lives becauseknowing fully well the political party that they were dealing with they shouldnot have signed the agreement without agreeing on key ministries and who wasgoing to get what. I think at this point in time just assuming that becauseZANU-PF has signed then all is well. That I think is too naïve because ZANU-PFwould always remain with another chip in the bag to ensure that they maintainthe reigns of power," Mpani noted.