MDC-T threatens to rule alone

By The Standard | Mar. 11, 2012

BY PATRICE MAKOVA THE MDC-T says it will go it alone if Zanu PF decides to pull out of the coalition government in the hope of forcing early elections before the implementation of reforms as required under the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

But Zanu PF, which has on several occasions threatened to pull out of the government of national unity (GNU) and call for early polls under the old constitution, said the former opposition party had no capacity to rule the country.

MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti said even if Zanu PF carried out threats to pull out of the GNU to force early elections, the two MDC factions would continue going to cabinet and make policy decisions.

He said Zanu PF could indeed pull out of the GNU, but Constitution Amendment number 19 which created the GPA and the unity government would remain in force.

“Mugabe has to go back to Parliament to change Amendment 19 which now supersedes all the other sections of the constitution,” he said. “Mugabe can no longer call for elections or dissolve Parliament without the consent of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.”

Biti, who is also the Minister of Finance did not explain how his party would rule without consent of the army and police, as service chiefs have said they will not salute Tsvangirai because he does not have liberation credentials.

Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said MDC-T had no capacity to rule on its own or stop Mugabe from calling for elections anytime he wanted.“They (MDC-T) are jokers who are fooling themselves,” he said. “They are powerless. They are walking around like naked people. As far as Zanu PF is concerned there is no going back on holding elections this year.”

MDC-T last week reiterated minimum conditions that the party says should prevail for a free and fair poll at the launch of its election roadmap document dubbed Conditions for a sustainable election in Zimbabwe.

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Officially launching the document, Tsvangirai said he was aware of the Zanu PF plot to frustrate and destroy his party to force it out of the transitional arrangement.

He accused Zanu PF of stalling the elections as most of the outstanding 24 reforms reside in their ministries. Tsvangirai said his party would brave on and ensure that the country holds free and fair polls, only after the implementation of agreed conditions such as a new constitution, political, electoral, media and other key reforms necessary to “vaccinate the next election against the virus of 2008”.

He said instead of the security sector realigning itself to the dictates of the new inclusive dispensation, a few securocrats were boasting that anyone other than Mugabe would not rule, even if they won an election.

“A circus or a bloodbath masquerading as an election would be a mockery and an insult to South Africa, Sadc and African Union who have all been painstakingly working for the past four years to ensure that we hold a credible poll and set the foundation for a prosperous Zimbabwe,” said Tsvangirai.He said MDC-T was not afraid of an election but would not participate in a “war” and be “stampeded” into a sham election that was not predicated on the necessary reforms.

Pulling out of GNU is not quitting Govt: Madhuku

Constitutional law lecturer, Professor Lovemore Madhuku said if Zanu PF decides to pull out of the GNU, this would not necessarily imply the party would be quitting government.

“If they decide to pull out of the GNU, this will mean that Mugabe is effectively firing the MDC from government,” said Madhuku. “He is the one who took the oath of office as President of Zimbabwe and can therefore fire Tsvangirai as Prime Minister and the entire government for that matter,” he said.

Madhuku said once the inclusive government collapsed, some aspects of Amendment 19 would automatically fall away as the inter-party agreement would no longer be in place, leaving Mugabe to call for snap elections on his own.