MDC, Zanu PF negotiate transitional government

MDC, Zanu PF negotiate transitional government

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By Lebo Nkatazo

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has agreed in principle to an ambitious plan for a transitional government made up of opposition and ruling Zanu PF officials when his term expires in 2008, New Zimbabwe.com can reveal.

The negotiated settlement of Zimbabwe's political impasse is being planned as United Nations secretary general Koffi Annan's "last hoorah" before he retires in December, diplomatic sources told New Zimbabwe.com.

Annan is pinning hopes of a breakthrough on Leonard Kapungu, the former Representative of the UN Under Secretary-general for Peacekeeping Operations at the SADC Regional Peacekeeping Centre in Harare. Kapungu now heads an NGO called the Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa.

According to sources, Kapungu has already met Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of a splinter group of the fractured Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to sell him the plan.

A western diplomat told New Zimbabwe.com from Harare: "The plan has been approved by the Americans and the British. Koffi Annan will delay his long promised trip to Zimbabwe until all details of this political settlement have been agreed and he will announce a major political breakthrough in Harare as his last hoorah before he quits."

The diplomat said Zanu PF officials loyal to the powerful faction led by Vice President Joice Mujuru were "very receptive" to the plan as they see it as an opening to outmanouvre another faction led by Emmerson Mnangagwa in Zanu PF's internal power play.

The plan for the transitional government is a striking replay of similar attempts by Mnangagwa's Zanu PF faction to negotiate with the MDC last year before it was foiled by Mujuru's group.

Tsvangirai recently stoked up the political flames when he threatened to lead mass protests against Mugabe's government. Mugabe swiftly responded, warning his chief political nemesis for the past six years that he was "dicing with death".

Despite the two leaders' tough-talking in public, sources say the economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe has frustrated both Tsvangirai and Mugabe in equal measure and a negotiated settlement appears to be favourable option.

Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for Tsvangirai's group appeared to break with his party's openly expressed view that it would not negotiate a political settlement with Zanu PF when asked for his reaction Sunday.

Chamisa said: "The party would welcome any initiatives that seek to address problems our country is facing. Our position is that the party would welcome demestic, national and international intervention."

He added: "We are not exclusive on who is going to be engaged...solving our problems requires all stakeholders to get involved and that includes those in Zanu PF."

At a recent rally in Chitungwiza, during which he announced that his group would participate in future elections, Tsvangirai dropped a hint of the negotiated settlement when he said the country would have a new constitution soon, without explaining.

As part of the plan, President Mugabe would step down in 2008 and appoint a successor. The leader of that transitional government will then invite opposition politicians and civic leaders into the coalition government to reflect on the country's ethnic and gender balance, sources said. That will lead to harmonised Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 2010.

A source said: "A new constitution is one of the areas being negotiated. From Zanu PF's point of view, they want to ease Mugabe's successor into power with minimal resistance and they hope this transition government will send out a message to the international community that they are reforming."

The sources said the Mujuru-camp in Zanu PF, which has the political support of Mugabe, also hoped wrapping in Tsvangirai's overwhelmingly Karanga leadership team would compensate for the loss of Mnangagwa (a Karanga), in the event of an internal fall-out within Zanu PF.

The source added: "Mujuru's faction in Zanu PF, and Tsvangirai's faction in the MDC are united on one thing: crushing any challenge from Arthur Mutambara's MDC faction and in the coming weeks, we could see some bold attempts to discredit them by hook or crook."

In an 'Independence Day' message published on New Zimbabwe.com, Mutambara appeared to refer to the Mujuru-Tsvangirai plan when he said: "On harmonization (mooted as Amendment 18 to the Zimbabwean Constitution), the Zanu PF objective is to use its fraudulent two thirds majority in the legislature to change the constitution in order to combine the Parliamentary and Presidential elections in 2010, thus denying the people an election in 2008.

"The idea is to have an unelected Zanu PF transitional president who then gains the power of incumbency for two years before being subjected to an election. The political demand should be for harmonization in 2008 not 2010."

New Zimbabwe.com understands that Sam Sipepa Nkomo defected from Mutambara's faction to join Tsvangirai's group after holding discussions with his relative and Speaker of Parliament, John Nkomo.

John Nkomo, sources say, advised Sipepa Nkomo that he stood a better chance of making it as a representative from Matabeleland in the transitional government if he joined Tsvangirai's group.

Nkomo, however, says the decision to quit the Mutambara camp was a "personal choice".

He said: "I am an adult with six children and 10 grand children and make my own political choices. I do not need his (John Nkomo) advice. I made my own decision to resign from the MDC led by Mutambara and communicated my decision to that leadership."

Repeated attempts to get comment from Kapungu were fruitless last night.
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