SADC urged to oversee implementation of Zim talks agreements
By Tichaona Sibanda
20 December 2007
The MDC now wants the regional bloc SADC to oversee the implementation of measures, agreed to by all parties at the mediated talks. The negotiating parties have failed to resolve differences and this has held back any progress for the past two months.
Eddie Cross, policy co-ordinator for the Tsvangirai led faction, said talks to break the impasse over outstanding issues between Zanu-PF and the MDC are likely to be suspended for the festive period and are earmarked to resume in early January. Negotiators from all parties had hoped to meet Mbeki after the conclusion of the ANC congress in Polokwane, but reports suggest the South African leader has decided to take a break after his defeat by Jacob Zuma for the ANC presidency.
The regional body mandated Mbeki to broker talks between the opposition and Zanu-PF in April and have left the South African leader to run the show. But lately Mbeki has failed to make a breakthrough in the stalled talks, leaving the MDC calling on SADC to step in.
The MDC contends that only a third of the agreements have been implemented, such as the amendments to draconian legislation, fast tracked through Parliament this week. The opposition wants the SADC bloc to force Zanu-PF to deliver on the rest of the agreed pacts.
Eddie Cross said his party is adamant the issues they have raised such as full implementation of the agreements before elections and the reversal of all decisions taken by the existing electoral body, must be done before they sign an accord with Zanu-PF
‘The negotiations are SADC sponsored and therefore the regional bloc are the custodians of the process. As it is the talks are deadlocked over key issues that are part and parcel of SADC protocols on free and fair elections,’ Cross said.
Another vital requirement, according to Cross, is the introduction of a new constitution before the elections. Robert Mugabe insists the constitution will only be implemented after the elections.
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