News / National
Mugabe, Tsvangirai playing hide and seek game
23 Jan 2013 at 05:38hrs | Views
POLITICAL analysts have described the recent landmark compromises made by coalition government principals as a strategy by both President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to defer the contentious issues in the draft constitution until they leave politics.
The analysts said by deferring implementation of such provisions as running mates, devolution of power, National Prosecution Authority and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to periods ranging between six and 10 years, Mugabe and Tsvangirai feared the issues could choke their exit paths.
National Constitutional Assembly chairman Lovemore Madhuku said he suspected there was a hide-and-seek game being played by Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
"I just hope the people of Zimbabwe will reject it because it is stupid," Madhuku said. "It is very stupid for some people to say they want the law, but don't want it to be applied to them. When the issue of running mates is applied after 10 years, Tsvangirai will have gone through his two terms if he wins in the next elections and Mugabe will possibly be dead by then.
"So why do they want the future leaders to be governed by the law they refused to be governed by? It is completely unacceptable."
Political analyst Alexander Rusero said the compromises were made to provide a safe landing for Mugabe and his "hangers-on".
"The compromises were meant to create a zone of comfort for Mugabe," Rusero said. "It is a clear statement that Zanu-PF officials are conceding defeat and are negotiating terms to ensure their safety. Most of the clauses that they seek to defer are critical for Zanu-PF and the agreements are simply meant to allow the country to pass through some barriers in its transitional process."
He said the compromise was the best deal the GPA partners could seal to create a safe haven for Mugabe and the army generals who fear prosecution for alleged gross human rights abuses committed during their tenure of office.
MDC leader Welshman Ncube at the weekend claimed that the two MDCs had decided to compromise on running mates to save Zanu-PF from further sagging into factionalism as the race to succeed Mugabe had reportedly reached fever pitch.
Ironically, sources in the MDC-T said Tsvangirai was also in a Catch-22 situation over who to appoint as a running mate.
Minister of State in Tsvangirai's office, Jameson Timba, described the draft constitution, whose fate will now be determined at a referendum, as the country's third document designed to manage the ongoing transition process.
"The 1979 Lancaster House accord was the first transition constitution, the September 15 one (GPA) was the second and the Copac draft is poised to come as the third transition document," Timba said.
Zanu-PF GPA negotiator Patrick Chinamasa, who is also Justice and Legal Affairs minister, said: "We are hoping to finalise the document tomorrow. I will entertain any question after we have adopted the document for a referendum."
However, Constitutional Affairs minister Eric Matinenga yesterday ruled out any possibility of the deferred issues being brought forward by whichever party won the next election.
"It's the constitution of the country. Any party that would want to change anything will have to call for a referendum," Matinenga said.
The analysts said by deferring implementation of such provisions as running mates, devolution of power, National Prosecution Authority and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to periods ranging between six and 10 years, Mugabe and Tsvangirai feared the issues could choke their exit paths.
National Constitutional Assembly chairman Lovemore Madhuku said he suspected there was a hide-and-seek game being played by Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
"I just hope the people of Zimbabwe will reject it because it is stupid," Madhuku said. "It is very stupid for some people to say they want the law, but don't want it to be applied to them. When the issue of running mates is applied after 10 years, Tsvangirai will have gone through his two terms if he wins in the next elections and Mugabe will possibly be dead by then.
"So why do they want the future leaders to be governed by the law they refused to be governed by? It is completely unacceptable."
Political analyst Alexander Rusero said the compromises were made to provide a safe landing for Mugabe and his "hangers-on".
"The compromises were meant to create a zone of comfort for Mugabe," Rusero said. "It is a clear statement that Zanu-PF officials are conceding defeat and are negotiating terms to ensure their safety. Most of the clauses that they seek to defer are critical for Zanu-PF and the agreements are simply meant to allow the country to pass through some barriers in its transitional process."
MDC leader Welshman Ncube at the weekend claimed that the two MDCs had decided to compromise on running mates to save Zanu-PF from further sagging into factionalism as the race to succeed Mugabe had reportedly reached fever pitch.
Ironically, sources in the MDC-T said Tsvangirai was also in a Catch-22 situation over who to appoint as a running mate.
Minister of State in Tsvangirai's office, Jameson Timba, described the draft constitution, whose fate will now be determined at a referendum, as the country's third document designed to manage the ongoing transition process.
"The 1979 Lancaster House accord was the first transition constitution, the September 15 one (GPA) was the second and the Copac draft is poised to come as the third transition document," Timba said.
Zanu-PF GPA negotiator Patrick Chinamasa, who is also Justice and Legal Affairs minister, said: "We are hoping to finalise the document tomorrow. I will entertain any question after we have adopted the document for a referendum."
However, Constitutional Affairs minister Eric Matinenga yesterday ruled out any possibility of the deferred issues being brought forward by whichever party won the next election.
"It's the constitution of the country. Any party that would want to change anything will have to call for a referendum," Matinenga said.
Source - newsday
