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Zimbabwe to top SADC Summit Agenda
Max Hamata, New Era (Windhoek)
August 11, 2005

http://allafrica.com/stories/200508110387.html

THE current economic and political turmoil in Zimbabwe will top the agenda of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) 25th summit scheduled for August 17.

SADC Executive Secretary Prega Ramsamy said the current political and economic situation in Zimbabwe will top the agenda for the summit. "There are core items of the agenda."

The 25th SADC summit in Gaborone is expected to discuss regional democracy, socio-economic and political economy. Ramsamy said the meeting will also focus on SADC's progress from a decentralised to a centralised organisation.

"Issues of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RSDP) will be discussed. In fact, any country (situation) might be discussed," he told journalists at a pre-summit briefing.

After the summit, the secretariat is expected to announce a new executive secretary and deputy executive secretary. Ramsamy noted that the SADC quota system will still apply at the summit. He explained that "due to logistical problems", the listing of interviews for the two posts (executive secretary and the deputy) could not be completed in the stipulated 15 to 30 days before the summit.

Ramsamy cited technical problems for the delay, such as allowing the newly elected Mauritius prime minister to familiarise himself with SADC proceedings.

Ramsamy said in a statement that in the past 25 years, SADC has made tremendous achievements at both political and economic levels. "On average, in 2004, SADC region achieved a growth rate of 4.1 percent. This is an applauded achievement," he said.

Ramsamy added that factors like prudent fiscal and economic reforms, macroeconomic convergence, plausible peace and democracy that reign in Southern Africa are all responsible for SADC's average economic achievement.

"For the first time, we have been able to measure elections according to SADC principles and guidelines.

We have met important targets," he said, adding that his organisation is scheduled to monitor the forthcoming elections in Tanzania and the DRC.

Ramsamy said if SADC countries continue observing the rule of law, the region will enjoy peace and accountability. He made no mention of troubled SADC states such as Zimbabwe and the DRC.

Other issues expected to be discussed during the summit include HIV/AIDS as a security problem and a hindrance to development. "We want to continue combating the disease, so that our efforts to develop the SADC region do not fail. We are also planning a campaign of education to help prevent the disease.

The meeting will also focus on the issue of gender," explained Ramsamy.

Mauritius, as current chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is accused of playing delaying tactics to hold onto the regional body secretariat as its head.

It is feared that the current Mauritian SADC Executive Secretary Prega Ramsamy, would hold on to his position for another term as the processes leading to the executive appointments of the secretariat have been delayed.

Questions are now being asked whether they would be made by August 17 when the SADC heads of state and government hold their summit in Gaborone.

The delay in making the top appointments have sparked scepticism with concerns that it may precipitate a crisis "difficult to resolve".

For a start, there are concerns over the alleged move to reverse the resolution on the quota system passed by the council of ministers in February in Mauritius. The resolution stated that: "No country should have more than one position in the top posts from director to executive secretary while others are not represented."

Insider SADC sources told New Era that the interviewing of candidates for the positions of executive secretary and the deputy are now scheduled to take place on August 14 and 15 - a day before the council of ministers meeting and two days before the summit.

The appointments should have taken place last August in Mauritius but were postponed due to what was described as a "short-time frame", which could "not afford member states an opportunity to consult".

In Mauritius, the ministers expressed dismay at the handling of the process leading to the appointment. They directed that "the process of selection and interviewing candidates be completed before March 2005 or by the Extra-Ordinary Summit". The February council of ministers' meeting in Mauritius once again reiterated the urgency of the matter.

The integrated committee of ministers' meeting held in Lesotho last June also expressed concern at the delay, noting that "the listing and interviews for the positions of the executive secretary and deputy executive secretary are too close to the council and summit meetings and therefore will not allow member states opportunity to make adequate consultations". They, therefore, directed that the appointment processes "be completed at least 15 to 30 days before the summit in August 2005 in line with the summit decision of August 2004 on this matter".

New Era's efforts to seek clarity on the cause of the delay from Mauritius, who currently hold SADC's chairmanship, were not successful.

New Era has it on good account that the procedure for appointments requires that candidates apply to the chairperson of the summit, who reverts the applications to the selection committee. The troika is formed by the chairperson, the immediate past chairperson, and the incoming one. The selection committee shortlists and makes recommendations to the council of ministers and the summit.

Five countries are vying for the executive secretary position, namely Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Tanzania. Malawi made a belated show of interest in the race while the council of ministers' decision on the point system is hardly six months old.

Malawi is already represented in the top management - by the director of food, agriculture and natural resources, and by the head of finance. This can only mean one thing - the reversal of the decision on the point or quota system in order to permit Malawi to have a go at the top post.

This will, undoubtedly, have a domino effect with other member states calling for the postponement of the appointment to get an opportunity to field candidates.

Already Zambia, which is represented substantively at director level, is also considering throwing in the outgoing deputy executive secretary Albert Muchanga, who is technically out of the race. So far, a Motswana woman and an Angolan man were the only candidates for the position of deputy executive secretary.

The resultant scenario is likely to once again push back the appointment of the executive secretary and his deputy by at least a year. The obvious beneficiaries of this eventuality will be the incumbent executive secretary Dr Prega Ramsamy and his deputy, Muchanga. Ramsamy's candidature was withdrawn by his country, Mauritius, in February. - Additional reporting, Mmegi

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