PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party has claimed that Zanu PF is undermining ongoing constitutional reforms in a bid to ensure new elections are held under conditions that make a free and fair ballot impossible.
The party’s national executive met in Harare Friday where officials claimed Zanu PF was responsible for the lack of progress in the writing of a new constitution adding President Robert Mugabe wanted new polls held under the Independence charter.
“The National Executive noted that Zanu PF is trying to derail the agreed reforms in the Global Political Agreement (GPA) including the Constitution making process so that the next elections will be held under conditions that make free and fair elections impossible. The MDC is calling for a speedy conclusion of the Constitution making process,” the party said after the meeting.
A new constitution is part of a raft of political reforms the MDC-T says were agreed as part of its power-sharing deal with Zanu PF. But the writing of the new constitution has been undermined by disagreements between the parties over various issues.
The regional SADC grouping which facilitated the formation of the GPA told the parties at a recent summit in Angola to speed-up implementation of the reforms so that new elections can be held within twelve months.
Mugabe has previously threatened to name an election date this year but the MDC-T said no polls could be held until the reforms are completed.
“The MDC reiterates that by the time Zimbabwe goes for elections, security sector, media and Electoral reforms, including the staffing of should have been concluded. These will ensure a level playing field for all those who wish to contest in the election,” the party said.
“The MDC is, therefore, saying that the minimum conditions as set out by the AU as well as SADC, which the party restated in the Conditions for a Sustainable Election in Zimbabwe (CoSEZ), should prevail before elections are held.
“The National Executive applauded the SADC resolutions that reforms must be implemented within the next 12 months, and noted that elections should be held after the implementation of key reforms contained in the GPA.”
Meanwhile the party also blamed infiltration by Zanu PF agents for the violence which rocked its structures leading up to its national congress last year. A commission established to probe the violence presented its report to the National Executive meeting.
“The Party noted that Zanu PF and state agents directly and indirectly fanned and promoted violence in the MDC in a bid to create chaos within the party,” the National Executive meeting concluded.
“The Executive resolved that all MDC members and officials who were implicated in violence should be brought before the National Disciplinary Committee without regard to their status within the party.
“Serious cases of infiltration by state agents were noted and mechanisms have been put in place to flush out such elements.
“The party does not condone violence; instead it looks forward to efforts to bring perpetrators to book. The MDC therefore, urges the upright men and women within the police force to resist being abused by Zanu PF.”