Tsvangirai in Washington for 2nd leg of tour

By Tichaona Sibanda
9 June 2009

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai arrived in Washington late on Monday for a 5 day visit that will culminate in a meeting with the United States President Barrack Obama at the Oval office.

James Maridadi, Tsvangirai’ spokesman, told us from Washington that the Prime Minister has a very busy schedule ahead of his meeting with the U.S. President at the White House on Friday.

‘The Prime Minister is meeting various interest groups as a build up to his meeting on Friday. His itinerary is punishing as he wants to ensure he explores every avenue that will get the country recognised again internationally,’ Maridadi.

Contrary to reports that the Prime Minister was on a fund raising trip to the west, Maridadi said Tsvangirai was re-establishing contacts first, before he starts talking about financial aid.
‘If aid comes out of this trip, then that is a bonus. What he’s really concerned about now is having the country readmitted to the family of nations. You cannot look for money before establishing contacts,’ Maridadi said.

The inclusive government is appealing for $8 billion to rebuild the shattered economy, but most donors and investors have insisted more reforms and the rule of law must be in place before they commit funds.
Tsvangirai played down the aid question during the first leg of his tour in the Netherlands on Sunday and emphasized he was mending relations between the governments after years of acrimony between Harare and the West.

In the Hague, the Prime Minister was told that the Netherlands won’t support the government financially until it institutes reforms on a range of issues. Two weeks ago Tsvangirai told his party conference that his efforts to restore democratic freedoms and the rule of law have so far failed.
The former trade unionist went into a coalition government with longtime rival Robert Mugabe in February to end the country’s political deadlock and economic collapse.

He gave his party’s annual convention a bleak assessment of the situation in the country and said that hard-liners backing Mugabe were frustrating progress.

‘We have not yet succeeded in restoring the rule of law ... our people do not live free from fear, hunger and poverty,’ Tsvangirai said. The official state media remains biased and there is only limited freedom of movement and expression.

Tsvangirai leaves Washington on Saturday headed for Germany. His three-week state visit will also take him to France, Sweden, Britain, Belgium, and Denmark.
Meanwhile a civil society team comprising the ZCTU, Crisis and NGO Human Rights forum is on a lobbying tour to the European Union, speaking to various key Institutions.

Fambai Ngirande, programmes director of NANGO, said they were seeking to advise departments of foreign affairs and ministries of development cooperation in the EU on what should or could be their priorities in relation to Zimbabwe, from a funding to a re-engagement perspective.