Zimbabwe: MDC reject unity govt, propose transitional authority

3 July, 2008 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa
By Lance Guma
02 July 2008

Morgan Tsvangirai has rejected calls by the African Union for his party to enter into a government of national unity with Zanu PF, saying any talks should lead to fresh elections. Addressing journalists at his Harare home on Wednesday Tsvangirai argued that a unity government would simply ignore the will of the people as expressed in the March 29 elections and that this would not solve the country’s problems. ‘Our commitment to a negotiated settlement is not about power-sharing or power deals but about democracy, freedom and justice,’ he said. The MDC is instead proposing a ‘transitional authority’ based on the March poll, to prepare the ground for free and fair elections under a new constitution.

Tsvangirai stressed that there could be no talks as long as the Zanu PF sponsored violence continued. He demanded the release of all political prisoners, the disbanding of militia bases and torture camps and said the country’s security services should, ‘halt their partisan operations.’ He also expressed his party’s reservations about South African president Thabo Mbeki’s mediation. ‘It is our position that unless the mediation team is expanded to include at least one permanent representative from the African Union, and the mediation mechanism is changed, no meaningful progress can be made towards [continue reading]