Negotiators from Zimbabwe’s three political parties have agreed on an implementation mechanism for the majority of the outstanding issues, although some key sticking points still remain, one of the parties said Wednesday.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) faction also said negotiators from the party, President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF and a breakaway MDC group agreed to resume final discussions on 11 sticking power-sharing issues in the New Year.
“Although no official statement has been made, it is believed that an implementation framework has been agreed on 16 of the 27 issues tabled for resolution. These include reform of the public media, the land audit, Constitutional Amendment No.19, National Economic Council and aspects of the rule of law such as freedom of assembly and association,” the MDC said in a weekly newsletter published by Tsvangirai’s office.
The Prime Minister’s Newsletter however noted that the traditional hurdles of the appointments of provincial governors, the Central Bank Governor and the Attorney General as well as the swearing in of MDC treasurer-general Roy Bennett as deputy agriculture minister were yet to be overcome.
The MDC earlier this week set a January 15 deadline for resolution of all the outstanding issues, failing which the dispute would be referred to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for arbitration.
Tsvangirai’s spokesman James Maridadi said that while there was frustration at the slow pace of implementation, definite progress had been made.
“The negotiators have been able to find some common ground on the majority of the issues and the Prime Minister will ensure that they are implemented early in the New Year,” he said.
“Prime Minister Tsvangirai is aware that these outstanding issues are stalling the government’s ability to deliver to the people and as delivery is his main goal, he will not stop pushing until all the issues have been resolved,” he added.
Evidence of progress came on Tuesday with the announcement of the members of the Zimbabwe Media Commission, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission although the chairmanship of the last two bodies is yet to be decided.
The announcement followed another meeting between Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara where they agreed on the final candidates from the list submitted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Standing Rules and Orders.
SADC leaders last month held a special summit in Mozambique and tasked South African President Jacob Zuma with helping the parties resolve their differences.
President Zuma appointed a high powered team of facilitators who have been working with negotiators from the three parties and pushing for a speedy resolution of the outstanding issues.
Source African Press Agency
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