'Inclusive govt next month’

AFTER 14 hours of deliberations the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) yesterday issued a statement saying Zimbabwe’s main parties had agreed on a timeline to implement the power-sharing agreement signed on September 15, 2008.

The timeline sees MDC Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Morgan Tsvangirai sworn in by February 11.

A statement issued by the Sadc Chairperson and South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, the leadership of Zimbabwe is committed to the power-sharing deal.

Zanu PF and the two formations of the MDC have agreed to form a unity government next month, he said.

”All the parties expressed confidence in the process and committed to implementing the agreement,” said Motlanthe.

But the MDC issued a statement soon after the extraordinary summit the conclusions of the summit chaired by Mr Motlanthe fell short of its expectations as agreed at its National Council meeting of the 14th of November 2008 and 12th of December 2008.

The Sadc statement early on Tuesday, however, said besides these reservations the MDC had agreed to a timeline towards forming an all-inclusive Government.

According to the timeline, Constitutional Amendment No 19 Bill, the legal framework for the implementation of the Global Political Agreement, would be passed to create the post of prime minister on 5 February, with MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai being sworn in six days later.

"All the parties expressed confidence in the process and committed to implementing the (Global Political) Agreement," said Mr Motlanthe.

SADC Executive Secretary Dr. Tomaz Augusto Salomão told the media around 05:30 local time that all parties had agreed that the prime minister and deputy prime minister would be sworn in by February 11.

"The minister and deputy ministers shall be sworn in on February 13 which will conclude the process of the formation of the inclusive government."

The Extraordinary summit “unanimously agreed” to these proposals, according to Salomao. He said “certain amendments” had been made regarding the allocation of cabinet posts, which had been hotly contested by all parties.

All parties agreed that control of the hotly disputed Home Affairs ministry, which has been a big obstacle to a final agreement, should be divided between Zanu PF party and MDC-T for six months, according to President Motlanthe.

Heads of state from Botswana, Namibia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe and senior delegates from the seven other Sadc countries represented their governments.

The MDC-T party leader is now expected to meet with his party's national council this weekend to explain the new position — the day specified by Sadc for the first meeting of the monitoring commission representing the three Zimbabwe parties who participated in Monday’s negotiations, to discuss remaining points of disagreement.

A Zimbabwe Government source told the Financial Times newspaper that Tsvangirai had “flip-flopped again”. “Just as on other occasions, he agreed at the meeting but it seems he was overruled afterwards by his party hardliners.”

The source said the ruling Zanu PF party was pleased with the outcome, because it meant that if Tsvangirai’s MDC party does reject the agreement on Friday, as seems probable, President Mugabe now has the backing of Sadc and the formation of the MDC led by Professor Mutambara, to go ahead and form a government without Tsvangirai.

TIMELINE

30 January 2009: Activation of, and first meeting of, the Joint-Monitoring Implementation Committee (JOMIC), provided for in the Global Political Agreement to, among other things, elect chairpesons;

January – February 4: Enactment of Constitutional Amendment Number 19 Bill

February 5: Creation of posts of Prime Minister and Deputy PM

February 11: Swearing in of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers

February 13: Appointment of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Cabinet)

The shall be activated immediately. The f

- TZG/FT/News24/Sapa