The two MDC parties yesterday accused Zanu PF of plotting to rewrite the election roadmap in a bid to force an early election.
The parties made the claims during a meeting with the Lindiwe Zulu-led facilitation team in Harare. The team met the negotiators from Zanu PF and the two MDC parties in a closed-door meeting which started in the morning.
Members of the team included Zulu, (special advisor to South African President Jacob Zuma), South African Ambassador to Zimbabwe Vusi Mavimbela and Zumas political advisor Charles Nqakula.
They wanted to check on the progress made in the implementation of outstanding issues of the Global Political Agreement, a Sadc-negotiated political solution to Zimbabwe which gave birth to the inclusive government in 2009.
Zanu PF was represented by Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and Transport minister Nicholas Goche. MDC-T was represented by Finance minister Tendai Biti and Energy minister Elton Mangoma, while the MDC was represented by Regional Integration and International Cooperation minister Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga and National Healing minister Moses Mzila-Ndlovu.
A source close to the negotiations told NewsDay yesterday that the MDC parties raised concerns over the erratic calls for elections by Zanu PF when little was being done to implement agreed outstanding GPA issues.
The negotiators have been ordered to look into the outstanding issues and report to the facilitation team in two weeks, the source said.
During the meeting, the facilitation team observed that very little reforms had been made in the past six months, since the last meeting on December 5, 2011.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
According to the electoral roadmap, elections can only be held in Zimbabwe after the adoption of a new constitution and the implementation of media, legislative and security sector reforms.
The MDC parties said President Robert Mugabes call for elections was meant to divert peoples attention from the reform agenda.
Mugabe has repeatedly said he wanted elections this year and reportedly sent senior officials from his party on a regional whirlwind campaign to seek Sadcs backing for his early election push.
Zulu yesterday confirmed the facilitation team met the negotiators, but said she could not get into details of the meeting.
Yes, we met but I cannot give you the details of our meeting before I brief President Zuma. I can confirm that we are going to meet again soon and the Zimbabwe principals will be at the Sadc summit in case Zimbabwe is tabled, said Zulu.
According to the source, the principals (President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara) will meet the mediator, Zuma, at an extra-ordinary Sadc summit in Luanda, Angola, at the weekend.
The facilitation team was serious about implementing the outstanding issues in the GPA and the principals are required to table an implementation matrix to President Zuma, said the source.
Last week, the United Nations Human Rights chief Navanethem Pillay warned against a rushed poll in Zimbabwe saying it could culminate in a repeat of the 2008 violence.
Pillay was on a five day working visit to Zimbabwe to assess the human rights situation.
