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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Talks, dialogue, negotiations and GNU - Post June 2008 "elections" - Index of articles
Statement on denial of a passport to Morgan Tsvangirai
Arthur Mutambara
October 20, 2008
I have just
been advised that Morgan Tsvangirai will not be attending the meeting
of the SADC Troika because he has not been issued with a passport.
If this report is true I wish to make the following statement.
In terms of
the agreement
reached on the 15 September 2008 Morgan Tsvangirai is to become
Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. For the past two months Morgan Tsvangirai
has been denied a passport. In the context of the agreement what
sort of goodwill is that? I have raised this matter with President
Mbeki and Mugabe. We should never allow trivial matters such as
this to affect the national interest. SADC has an opportunity to
help Zimbabweans solve their national crisis by standing up to Mugabe's
unacceptable behavior in this regard.
In light of the report
I have received this morning I have demanded through President Mbeki
that the Troika meeting be cancelled. There can be no discussion
of any value without Morgan Tsvangirai's presence.
In the past few weeks
I have ended up being a mediator-trying to do what I can to ensure
that a credible deal be arrived at, specifically by ensuring that
the MDC T obtains control of the Finance and Home Affairs Ministries.
The most important thing is that we should all have a common vision
for Zimbabwe. Pragmatism and flexibility should force the three
leaders to come up with an acceptable agreement.
I stress that there needs
to be a tripartite agreement. As a political party we are not beholden
either to Morgan Tsvangirai or Robert Mugabe-we are beholden to
the suffering masses of Zimbabwe. Just as we are opposed to any
unilateral decision by Robert Mugabe so we will also oppose any
activity by Morgan Tsvangirai to hold the nation to ransom. There
is absolutely no alternative to the tripartite agreement which must
be concluded urgently.
If Robert Mugabe
goes ahead unilaterally to form a government, the party that I lead
will have no part of it. If Robert Mugabe unilaterally forms a government
we will denounce and call for the global isolation of any such criminal
and illegitimate government.
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