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Folks, See how "democratic" this Movement for "Democratic" Change in Zimbabwe really is. Read on:- Charles ============================ Subject: Zimbabwe: new orders from Civ-Soc Central - "no reconciliation talks" Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 19:35:09 -0500 The Herald (Harare), 3/20/02 MDC backtracks on reconciliation talks Herald Reporter MDC has backtracked on negotiations with the ruling Zanu-PF Government aimed at achieving reconciliation in the country while the ruling party has expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with all Zimbabweans to rebuild the nation. The MDC top executive met in Harare yesterday to consider a proposal by the presidents of Nigeria and South Africa to engage in! dialogue with the Government to restore the economy. This followed talks on Monday between Mr Tsvangirai and the presidents of Nigeria and South Africa, General Olusegun Obasanjo and Mr Thabo Mbeki respectively. The two urged the MDC leader and President Mugabe to put aside their differences and engage in dialogue for the good of the country while the Commonwealth last night recommended reconciliation between the two major political parties. The MDC agreed to engage in dialogue on Monday and even asked the two presidents to suggest the agenda, format and venue of the talks. However, Mr Tsvangirai who lost the presidential election to President Mugabe by over 400 000 votes, yesterday demanded that a fresh poll be held in before he could consider negotiations with the Government. Zanu-PF's dep! uty national secretary for information and publicity, Prof Jonathan Mo yo, yesterday said his party was willing to engage in dialogue, not only with the MDC, but with other Zimbabweans in addressing bread and butter issues that will result in the development of the country. Prof Moyo, who is also the Minister of State for Information and Publicity, said his party and the Government were prepared to dialogue with the business sector, labour and other stakeholders for development and progress under the Tripartite Negotiating Forum. But Zanu-PF and the Government would not enter into dialogue with the MDC for a re-run of the presidential election, which was won by President Mugabe. Mr Tsvangirai lost the March 9-11 election to President Mugabe but is refusing to accept the result. "Zimbabwe has just had a presidential election and the next election is in six years. That's according to our Constitution.! Any other talk borders on subversion. When we talk as Zimbabweans we must put our country first and that's what President Mugabe said in his inauguration speech. "We must be guided by national interests and in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the country. As Zanu-PF these are the principles that we uphold. "Tsvangirai and his lot are sounding more and more like criminals bent on subverting our Constitution and our laws. Maybe it is because he is not in Parliament or he has become very confused by the support from foreigners. "Tsvangirai needs a reality check and to be reminded that this is Zimbabwe and we have a Constitution and we have laws and that Zimbabwean leaders distinguish themselves from other people by upholding our Constitution and our laws." Prof Moyo said anyone who wanted to contest for the office of P! resident of Zimbabwe would have to wait another six years. The President had been sworn in, in terms of the country's Constitution and there were laws that protected constitutional government and the rule of law, which prevailed as part of democracy. "This other notion that we should engage in another election we say no to. We are not criminals and will not be partners in crime to subvert democracy and the Zimbabwean Constitution. No way. We can only be partners in progress and development and this is the dialogue we are willing to engage in, not only with the MDC, but with others." He said the Government was moving ahead and focusing on the issues that people wanted addressed through the Tripartite Negotiating Forum. "We are not ready to dialogue with people with foreign ideas and are criminally minded and bent on subverting our democracy. We don't care what these people call themselves. "We are not stupid and we don't think the MDC is the only actor. There are other Zimbabweans. The 1,2 million people who voted for the MDC are not the entire Zimbabwe. More than 1,7 million voted for Zanu-PF and there are many other millions who did not vote." The Government was going to address the issue of unemployment and would deal with those who played games by either closing down factories or sabotaging the economy for political reasons. "People have spoken and we are determined to succeed. We have a fund to take over companies that close down for political reasons." Referring to the ZCTU proposed three-day stayaway, Prof Moyo said: "Those who want to stay away from participating in the economy must do so permanently. Why should they stay away for only three days? They must permanently stay away from us because the majority are rea! dy to work." The minister took a swipe at the hypocrisy by the MDC shown when the opposition party accepted the results of the Harare and Chitungwiza mayoral elections, but refused to accept the result of the presidential poll. "They have been spoiled by foreigners to think that democracy means that we should keep holding elections until they win. That notion that an election is democratic only if the MDC or Tsvangirai wins is horribly foolish. "They know we lost the referendum in February 2000 and accepted the results. They know we lost 56 seats in the June 2000 parliamentary elections and accepted the results. They know we lost the mayoral election and some council elections in Bulawayo last year and accepted the results. "They know we lost the mayoral election in Masvingo and accepted the results. They know we lost the mayorship of Chegutu and accepted the results. They know we lost the mayoral ! election in Chitungwiza and accepted the results. We have lost the Harare mayoral and council elections, except in one ward, and have accepted the results." "The MDC is in control of Harare. Harare is in Zimbabwe and it's the capital of government. Surely we want to engage them in dialogue and make sure that those elected to run Harare do so on behalf of the people and that they don' t short change them. "Why are they not talking of having a re-election for the mayor of Harare or councillors? Its because they know the elections were free and fair. They say their stronghold is Harare. Our stronghold is Zimbabwe and that's why we won the Presidential election." Referring to the plot by Mr Tsvangirai to assassinate President Mugabe, Prof Moyo said for the MDC leader, the reality check must remind him that he should not engage in more criminal acts. Mr Tsvangirai, together with MDC secretary-general, P rofessor Welshman Ncube and Gweru Rural Member of Parliament, Mr Renson Gasela, are facing charges of plotting to assassinate President Mugabe in the run-up to the presidential election. An MDC official Ms Grace Kwinje was quoted on the BBC as querying how Zanu-PF and the MDC could enter into a dialogue while treason charges were hanging over Mr Tsvangirai, Prof Ncube and Mr Gasela. But Prof Moyo said in Zimbabwe criminal acts were not resolved politically. "While it is common wisdom that the guilty are always afraid, in Zimbabwe criminal acts are not resolved politically. They are resolved legally through the criminal justice system and in terms of our law, an accused person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Therefore the wheels of justice must run their course in this matter." He said Mr Tsvangirai and company ! called their party Movement for Democratic Change but it was quite clear that they were anything but democratic. A foreign and undemocratic idea "which says heads they win, tails we lose" had crept into the MDC. "The MDC is foreign directed and is drunk with foreign undemocratic, unAfrican and unZimbabwean ideas. That's why they say we should have an election run by foreigners . . . they say we should have the Commonwealth or the UN to run our election. "They think we are a banana republic. They should understand when we say Zimbabwe will never be a colony again." --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
