Civil and non-governmental organizations in Zimbabwe areexpressing their strong opposition to moves by President Robert Mugabe to openparliament officially next week. The organizations say the move would seriouslyjeopardize the recently signed memorandum of understanding between the rulingZANU-PF party and main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The MDC reportedly said thatconvening Zimbabwe's parliament would break a framework agreement governingpower-sharing talks to try to end Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis. ButPresident Mugabe's government rejected the accusation, saying the plan toconvene parliament will continue as planned. Sydney Masamvu is a Zimbabweanwith the International Crisis Group. From the capital, Harare, he tellsreporter Peter Clottey that the move is against the spirit of the recentlysigned memorandum of understanding.
"Ithink given the spirit of the MOU (memorandum of understanding), which up frontstated that within the spirit of the agreement, no party was going to conveneparliament or formulate a cabinet before an agreement is signed. Moving toswear in parliament is in part a breach of the memorandum of understanding.However, we need to make a qualification there that the contestation in thetalks right now is not about the swearing in of parliament is in dispute, but Ithink the most critical point, which ZANU-PF and President Robert Mugabe movesbeyond that, he would be crossing the rules is assembling the cabinet," Masamvunoted.
He said it would be anaffront to the ongoing peace negotiations aimed at resolving Zimbabwe'sproblems if President Mugabe goes ahead to name a ZANU-PF led cabinet.
"Assembling cabinet willactually be vesting authority in institutions, and I think that will amount tobe in total breach of the negotiating process and by extension, it willundermine the talks," he said.
Masamvu said the MDC wouldnot have significant opposition to the convening of parliament if it is basedon the March 29 general elections.
"The opposition has noproblem in the opening of parliament insofar as the swearing in of parliamentcomes in from the results of the March 29 elections, which by and large the MDChas actually stated that it reflects the will of the people. What the bone ofcontention is based on the March 29 elections, which leads to the swearing inof parliament, the assembly of cabinet put Mugabe in a position where he usesthe June 27 results that he would use for vesting himself as the president toassemble a cabinet. And that is where the dispute is, and that is where it willundermine the talks and the spirit of the MOU," Masamvu noted.
He said the assumption onwhich the MOU was based is what could be the bone of contention with Mugabe'splan to reconvene parliament and possibly assemble a cabinet.
"When you read the MOU, itstates that before the agreement is signed, parliament and cabinet should notbe sworn in and the cabinet should not be assembled. But I think the MOU wasbased not only on an understanding, but also on an assumption by thefacilitator that by then they would have rapped up the deal and there wouldhave been a concrete deal on the table and all the parties would have signed upto it. So, I think this issues have been long drawn and it is a long haul andthere is no signature appended to this process by all the parties. It actuallybrings into question the issue of a breach of the memorandum of understanding,which says parliament and cabinet shouldn't have been assembled," he said.
Masamvu described PresidentMugabe government's plan to reconvene parliament as despicable.
"I think the move ismeaningless for the simple reason that what he can only get from there is thatis how the issues of the speaker of our parliament is going to be nominated. Ithink that is where the only leverage is, but the battleground is the cabinet,"Masamvu pointed out.
Meanwhile, the MDC says any decisionto convene parliament would be a clear repudiation of the memorandum ofunderstanding, and an indication beyond reasonable doubt of ZANU-PF'sunwillingness to continue to be part of the talks. The MDC adds that conveningparliament decapitates the ongoing dialogue. But Zimbabwe's government isaccusing the opposition of flip-flopping. It charges that the MDC originallyconsented to the opening of parliament, only to turn around later to reject it.
