News / National
GPA negotiators to meet in Harare
02 Apr 2011 at 13:06hrs | Views
NEGOTIATORS to the Global Political Agreement are expected to meet in Harare on Monday to craft a roadmap for general elections and review the arrangement that created the inclusive Government.
This comes as the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security on Thursday proposed the establishment of a three-member panel to assist the South African facilitation team and the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee to evaluate implementation of the GPA.
Speaking to journalists soon after the Troika Summit in Livingstone, Zambia, Zanu-PF negotiator Patrick Chinamasa said Cabinet had constituted the negotiators into a GPA review committee.
The committee comprises Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche (Zanu-PF); Mr Tendai Biti and Mr Elton Mangoma (MDC-T), and Professor Welshman Ncube and Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga (MDC).
Chinamasa said the election roadmap would be drawn up in terms of the pact which already lays out a poll path.
A report will then be submitted to the South African facilitation team, which is expected in Zimbabwe on Wednes-day.
President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy PM Arthur Mutambara will get a separate report.
"Cabinet constituted the six negotiators into a committee to review, in terms of Article 23 of the GPA, progress on the implementation of those things we agreed to in the agreement.
"The review is supposed to be done annually. However, there was a delay and it is now like a bi-annual review since it is the first time we are going to undertake it.
"We had agreed as negotiators to meet to do that review. In fact, we agreed to meet on March 26 and 27, but it was not possible because one of the parties was not present. We have now agreed to meet as negotiators to carry out that review and report to our principals," Chinamasa said.
Chinamasa said the GPA would inform deliberations on the elections roadmap.
"The roadmap towards peaceful, free, fair and democratic harmonised elections is laid out in the GPA.
"The milestones are clearly laid out and we will not entertain any milestones that fall outside of the GPA.
"We laid out those milestones or signposts towards harmonised elections. What we are merely going to do when we meet is to pick and state what those milestones are and see which one has already been traversed so that we can come up with a roadmap in the context of the GPA."
He said sustainable solutions to the country's challenges could be found by exploring different channels of dialogue.
"It is important to highlight that any roadmap or election is an internal process for Zimbabweans by Zimbabweans and must be done by Zimbabweans.
"It is only when we encounter any deadlock that we can call in the facilitation team.
"And we have already agreed that we are inviting the facilitation team to Harare after we produce the report on the GPA review and have done the roadmap which, hopefully, will start and be completed on Monday.
"So, we want to emphasise that any solution that is not coming from us is not sustainable.
"It is very important for the future of the country that we come to grips with the challenges that we are facing and also that we come up with homegrown solutions towards a better Zimbabwe.
"We are confident that, left to ourselves, we should be able to craft a roadmap in the context of the GPA.
"The meeting is just a session of reminding ourselves of what we have already agreed to in the GPA."
Mr Biti, who travelled with the President to the summit, yesterday said the negotiators would evaluate the individual clauses of the agreement after which they will produce three separate reports that will later be consolidated into one.
"Each party will compile a report which will be compared against those of the other parties.
"We might invariably disagree but come up with one report at the end of the day."
On Thursday, the Sadc Troika recommended constituting a panel to help monitor Zimbabwe's political situation after considering a report by facilitator, South Africa's President Jacob Zuma.
In a communiqué, the Troika - chaired by Zambia's President Rupiah Banda - said the inclusive Government should complete all the necessary steps for the proposed polls, including the on-going constitution-making process.
The Organ said it was concerned about the political polarisation obtaining in the country, which was characterised by violence, intimidation and arrests.
"In view of the above, summit resolved that: (a) there must be an immediate end of violence, intimidation, hate speech, harassment, and any other form of action that contradicts the letter and spirit of the GPA;
"(b) All stakeholders to the GPA should implement all the provisions of the GPA and create a conducive environment for peace, security, and free political activity;
"(c) The inclusive Government in Zimbabwe should complete all the steps necessary for the holding of the election including the finalisation of the constitutional amendment and the referendum;
"(d) Sadc should assist Zimbabwe to formulate guidelines that will assist in holding an election that will be peaceful, free and fair, in accordance with Sadc Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections;
"(e) The Troika of the Organ shall appoint a team of officials to join the facilitation team and work with the Joint Monitoring, evaluation and implementation of GPA. The Troika shall develop the terms of reference, time frames and provide regular progress report, the first, to be presented during the next Sadc Extraordinary Summit. Summit will review progress on the implementation of GPA and take appropriate action."
Chinamasa said Zanu-PF would formulate a position on the proposal once the panel's terms of reference are made known.
He also expressed concern over summit's failure to disclose the contents of President Zuma's report.
"Be that as it may, the outcome of the meeting, as far as I can state, is that the troika is exploring the idea of attaching a three-person organ.
"At this time, we have no idea what its terms of reference are going to be, whether it will be permanently based here or in South Africa and its modus operandi.
"Zanu-PF will look at the terms of reference, modus operandi and satisfy ourselves that whatever is being recommended does not infringe on the sovereign rights of our people and country.
"It is then that we will be in a position to engage the Troika and the Sadc summit itself so that we are at one over what exactly the role the organ will play in our situation.
"It will only be then that this will be acceptable to us or not."
Present at the meeting were President's Banda, Zuma and Armando Guebuza (Mozambique) who constitute the Troika.
Also in attendance were President Mugabe, Prime Minister Tsvangirai, his deputy, Prof Mutambara, and their negotiating teams.
Chinamasa said: "The purpose of the meeting was to receive reports on Zimbabwe and Madagascar from the facilitators."
He said Zanu-PF was aware of MDC-T's allegations of politically-motivated violence, which he said was aimed at delaying elections and making Zimbabwe a matter of discussion in the United Nations Security Council.
"We are very aware that MDC-T have been lying through their teeth about the political situation in the country. They take very few isolated incidents and blow them out of proportion in order to paint a very disturbing picture about Zimbabwe.
"The purpose is to first delay the elections, which is understandable, but more devilish is they want us to be a subject of discussion in the UN Security Council without basis and take advantage of their friendship with imperial powers.
"They know they are puppets of imperial powers that are pounding Libya and want to throw us in the same light.
"We had a special Cabinet meeting last week to discuss MDC-T grievances and the President put them to task to come up with specific allegations of politically-motivated which could be followed up almost immediately.
"They were unable to come with even a single one. It just shows how dishonest our partners in this relationship are."
This comes as the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security on Thursday proposed the establishment of a three-member panel to assist the South African facilitation team and the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee to evaluate implementation of the GPA.
Speaking to journalists soon after the Troika Summit in Livingstone, Zambia, Zanu-PF negotiator Patrick Chinamasa said Cabinet had constituted the negotiators into a GPA review committee.
The committee comprises Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche (Zanu-PF); Mr Tendai Biti and Mr Elton Mangoma (MDC-T), and Professor Welshman Ncube and Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga (MDC).
Chinamasa said the election roadmap would be drawn up in terms of the pact which already lays out a poll path.
A report will then be submitted to the South African facilitation team, which is expected in Zimbabwe on Wednes-day.
President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy PM Arthur Mutambara will get a separate report.
"Cabinet constituted the six negotiators into a committee to review, in terms of Article 23 of the GPA, progress on the implementation of those things we agreed to in the agreement.
"The review is supposed to be done annually. However, there was a delay and it is now like a bi-annual review since it is the first time we are going to undertake it.
"We had agreed as negotiators to meet to do that review. In fact, we agreed to meet on March 26 and 27, but it was not possible because one of the parties was not present. We have now agreed to meet as negotiators to carry out that review and report to our principals," Chinamasa said.
Chinamasa said the GPA would inform deliberations on the elections roadmap.
"The roadmap towards peaceful, free, fair and democratic harmonised elections is laid out in the GPA.
"The milestones are clearly laid out and we will not entertain any milestones that fall outside of the GPA.
"We laid out those milestones or signposts towards harmonised elections. What we are merely going to do when we meet is to pick and state what those milestones are and see which one has already been traversed so that we can come up with a roadmap in the context of the GPA."
He said sustainable solutions to the country's challenges could be found by exploring different channels of dialogue.
"It is important to highlight that any roadmap or election is an internal process for Zimbabweans by Zimbabweans and must be done by Zimbabweans.
"It is only when we encounter any deadlock that we can call in the facilitation team.
"And we have already agreed that we are inviting the facilitation team to Harare after we produce the report on the GPA review and have done the roadmap which, hopefully, will start and be completed on Monday.
"So, we want to emphasise that any solution that is not coming from us is not sustainable.
"It is very important for the future of the country that we come to grips with the challenges that we are facing and also that we come up with homegrown solutions towards a better Zimbabwe.
"We are confident that, left to ourselves, we should be able to craft a roadmap in the context of the GPA.
"The meeting is just a session of reminding ourselves of what we have already agreed to in the GPA."
Mr Biti, who travelled with the President to the summit, yesterday said the negotiators would evaluate the individual clauses of the agreement after which they will produce three separate reports that will later be consolidated into one.
"Each party will compile a report which will be compared against those of the other parties.
On Thursday, the Sadc Troika recommended constituting a panel to help monitor Zimbabwe's political situation after considering a report by facilitator, South Africa's President Jacob Zuma.
In a communiqué, the Troika - chaired by Zambia's President Rupiah Banda - said the inclusive Government should complete all the necessary steps for the proposed polls, including the on-going constitution-making process.
The Organ said it was concerned about the political polarisation obtaining in the country, which was characterised by violence, intimidation and arrests.
"In view of the above, summit resolved that: (a) there must be an immediate end of violence, intimidation, hate speech, harassment, and any other form of action that contradicts the letter and spirit of the GPA;
"(b) All stakeholders to the GPA should implement all the provisions of the GPA and create a conducive environment for peace, security, and free political activity;
"(c) The inclusive Government in Zimbabwe should complete all the steps necessary for the holding of the election including the finalisation of the constitutional amendment and the referendum;
"(d) Sadc should assist Zimbabwe to formulate guidelines that will assist in holding an election that will be peaceful, free and fair, in accordance with Sadc Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections;
"(e) The Troika of the Organ shall appoint a team of officials to join the facilitation team and work with the Joint Monitoring, evaluation and implementation of GPA. The Troika shall develop the terms of reference, time frames and provide regular progress report, the first, to be presented during the next Sadc Extraordinary Summit. Summit will review progress on the implementation of GPA and take appropriate action."
Chinamasa said Zanu-PF would formulate a position on the proposal once the panel's terms of reference are made known.
He also expressed concern over summit's failure to disclose the contents of President Zuma's report.
"Be that as it may, the outcome of the meeting, as far as I can state, is that the troika is exploring the idea of attaching a three-person organ.
"At this time, we have no idea what its terms of reference are going to be, whether it will be permanently based here or in South Africa and its modus operandi.
"Zanu-PF will look at the terms of reference, modus operandi and satisfy ourselves that whatever is being recommended does not infringe on the sovereign rights of our people and country.
"It is then that we will be in a position to engage the Troika and the Sadc summit itself so that we are at one over what exactly the role the organ will play in our situation.
"It will only be then that this will be acceptable to us or not."
Present at the meeting were President's Banda, Zuma and Armando Guebuza (Mozambique) who constitute the Troika.
Also in attendance were President Mugabe, Prime Minister Tsvangirai, his deputy, Prof Mutambara, and their negotiating teams.
Chinamasa said: "The purpose of the meeting was to receive reports on Zimbabwe and Madagascar from the facilitators."
He said Zanu-PF was aware of MDC-T's allegations of politically-motivated violence, which he said was aimed at delaying elections and making Zimbabwe a matter of discussion in the United Nations Security Council.
"We are very aware that MDC-T have been lying through their teeth about the political situation in the country. They take very few isolated incidents and blow them out of proportion in order to paint a very disturbing picture about Zimbabwe.
"The purpose is to first delay the elections, which is understandable, but more devilish is they want us to be a subject of discussion in the UN Security Council without basis and take advantage of their friendship with imperial powers.
"They know they are puppets of imperial powers that are pounding Libya and want to throw us in the same light.
"We had a special Cabinet meeting last week to discuss MDC-T grievances and the President put them to task to come up with specific allegations of politically-motivated which could be followed up almost immediately.
"They were unable to come with even a single one. It just shows how dishonest our partners in this relationship are."
Source - Byo24News
