News / National
Mugabe, Tsvangirai, Mutambara meets
09 Feb 2012 at 05:57hrs | Views
PRINCIPALS to the Global Political Agreement met yesterday and reaffirmed the need to follow the Constitution in the reappointment of Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri.
President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara met on Monday and yesterday to discuss a number of issues.
They discussed the state of the economy, sanctions, the reappointment of senior police and army officers, violence, the Council of Ministers, electoral reforms and hate speech among other issues.
PM Tsvangirai and DPM Mutambara held a Press conference at the former's Strathaven home to brief journalists on the discussions.
DPM Mutambara, who did most of the talking, told journalists that the principals had found it necessary to break tradition and discuss the issues with the media.
He said the principals reaffirmed that they take the necessary steps for the reappointment of Comm-Gen Chihuri. "The Commissioner-General remains in his position until his reappointment has been regularised.
"However, there is an agreement among the principals that due process should be given a chance and the Police Service Commission should make recommendations to the President for his reappointment," he said.
DPM Mutambara said President Mugabe and PM Tsvangirai will "discuss" the recommendations before the reappointment.
PM Tsvangirai said although the agreements "are not cast in stone", there was general agreement to implement some of them.
"The issue lies on the implementation of the agreements or else we will be stuck with the problems of outstanding issues," he said.
DPM Mutambara said the principals are in agreement that the inclusive Government has brought economic stability.
He said there will be a land audit to determine the level of production on farms allocated through the land reform programme.
The principals, DPM Mutambara said, agreed to reconstitute the inter-ministerial re-engagement team on sanctions.
"We are agreed that the ministers should restart negotiations with the West on sanctions."
He said the Government will also implore the Sadc committee to start engaging countries that imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe.
DPM Mutambara said the principals are expecting a report from the Copac management committee.
"The principals are going to convene a meeting with the management committee to clarify the roadmap and progress. Elections in Zimbabwe are to be process-driven and we would look at the timelines, processes of holding the referendum and election roadmap, would determine the holding of elections this year or early next year," he said.
He said the principals will meet editors from Zimbabwe's media houses.
"We would like to look at how we can work for the development of the nation. The media has a role to play in the success of the nation."
He said, the parties, through their negotiating teams, agreed to do away with proposals for a polling station voting based system.
"We had agreed to introduce polling station voting during election to avoid multiple voting but we are agreed that we revert back to ward-based voting," he said.
The principals, DPM Mutambara said, will meet Zimbabwe Electoral Commission officials to discuss issues necessary for a free and fair election.
Issues like amendments to the Public Order and Security Act, he said, will be dealt with by party negotiators.
He said the Government will also look at ways to save ministers from embarrassment if they are arrested.
"We have had cases where ministers have been embarrassed after being arrested. There is, however, need to come up with a dignified way of dealing with the arrested ministers."
He, however, added that the move will not seek to undermine Zimbabwe's justice system.
The Minister of Justice, the Attorney-General and the police will meet to find ways of amending Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
"Many people have fallen victim to this section. Some serve jail terms before they are released because of this section," he said.
DPM Mutambara said the Council of Ministers will meet today with at least three ministers giving reports.
PM Tsvangirai, he said, will report back to Cabinet and Parliament.
President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara met on Monday and yesterday to discuss a number of issues.
They discussed the state of the economy, sanctions, the reappointment of senior police and army officers, violence, the Council of Ministers, electoral reforms and hate speech among other issues.
PM Tsvangirai and DPM Mutambara held a Press conference at the former's Strathaven home to brief journalists on the discussions.
DPM Mutambara, who did most of the talking, told journalists that the principals had found it necessary to break tradition and discuss the issues with the media.
He said the principals reaffirmed that they take the necessary steps for the reappointment of Comm-Gen Chihuri. "The Commissioner-General remains in his position until his reappointment has been regularised.
"However, there is an agreement among the principals that due process should be given a chance and the Police Service Commission should make recommendations to the President for his reappointment," he said.
DPM Mutambara said President Mugabe and PM Tsvangirai will "discuss" the recommendations before the reappointment.
PM Tsvangirai said although the agreements "are not cast in stone", there was general agreement to implement some of them.
"The issue lies on the implementation of the agreements or else we will be stuck with the problems of outstanding issues," he said.
DPM Mutambara said the principals are in agreement that the inclusive Government has brought economic stability.
He said there will be a land audit to determine the level of production on farms allocated through the land reform programme.
The principals, DPM Mutambara said, agreed to reconstitute the inter-ministerial re-engagement team on sanctions.
"We are agreed that the ministers should restart negotiations with the West on sanctions."
He said the Government will also implore the Sadc committee to start engaging countries that imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe.
DPM Mutambara said the principals are expecting a report from the Copac management committee.
"The principals are going to convene a meeting with the management committee to clarify the roadmap and progress. Elections in Zimbabwe are to be process-driven and we would look at the timelines, processes of holding the referendum and election roadmap, would determine the holding of elections this year or early next year," he said.
He said the principals will meet editors from Zimbabwe's media houses.
"We would like to look at how we can work for the development of the nation. The media has a role to play in the success of the nation."
He said, the parties, through their negotiating teams, agreed to do away with proposals for a polling station voting based system.
"We had agreed to introduce polling station voting during election to avoid multiple voting but we are agreed that we revert back to ward-based voting," he said.
The principals, DPM Mutambara said, will meet Zimbabwe Electoral Commission officials to discuss issues necessary for a free and fair election.
Issues like amendments to the Public Order and Security Act, he said, will be dealt with by party negotiators.
He said the Government will also look at ways to save ministers from embarrassment if they are arrested.
"We have had cases where ministers have been embarrassed after being arrested. There is, however, need to come up with a dignified way of dealing with the arrested ministers."
He, however, added that the move will not seek to undermine Zimbabwe's justice system.
The Minister of Justice, the Attorney-General and the police will meet to find ways of amending Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
"Many people have fallen victim to this section. Some serve jail terms before they are released because of this section," he said.
DPM Mutambara said the Council of Ministers will meet today with at least three ministers giving reports.
PM Tsvangirai, he said, will report back to Cabinet and Parliament.
Source - TH
