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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
MDC
insists there is no dialogue between Zanu PF and itself
Movement
for Democratic Change
July 08, 2008
The MDC has
noted a report in today's (8 July 2008) state run newspaper, The
Herald, to the effect that dialogue between MDC and ZANU PF "will
resume soon." The paper writes on its front page;
"INTER-PARTY
talks between Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations will soon resume
under the continued facilitation of South Africa's President Thabo
Mbeki. Cde Patrick Chinamasa, one of Zanu-PF's representatives in
the talks, yesterday said he had received confirmation that both
formations — one led by Arthur Mutambara and the other by
Morgan Tsvangirai — were ready to return to the negotiating
table. "We have received communication from both MDC Mutambara
and MDC Tsvangirai that they are ready for a resumption of the inter-party
talks. "The talks will resume sooner rather than later, but
I obviously cannot tell you what is on the table or when or where
we will be meeting as we do not want to negotiate in public. The
talks will be under the facilitation of President Mbeki"
The MDC unequivocally
states the report by The Herald is false and is a figment of the
dictatorship's imagination. The MDC is not aware of any dialogue
that will "soon resume."
Our position
remains consistently clear that there can not be genuine and serious
dialogue as long as the issues that the MDC has raised as preconditions
to dialogue have not been satisfactorily met. We reiterate again
that genuine and serious dialogue can only take place if all of
the following conditions are met;
- The immediate
cessation of violence and the withdrawal and disbanding of militia
groups, paramilitary camps and illegal road blocks. All structures
and infrastructure of violence must be disbanded. Amongst other
things, war veterans, youth militia and others encamped on the
edges of our cities, towns and villages need to be sent home and
be reintegrated into society.
- The normalization
of the political environment, including the release of the more
than 1 500 political prisoners, cessation of political persecution
and allowing the currently besieged MDC leadership to conduct
business and travel without hindrance
- The reinstatement
of access by humanitarian organizations to the people of Zimbabwe
in order to provide food, medical and other critical services
through out the country.
- Parliament
and Senate must be sworn in and begin working on the people's
business
- The mediation
team is expanded to include an AU permanent envoy.
Dialogue is
inevitable, but these conditions must be met.
We welcome the
statement attributed to President Mbeki in Japan to the effect that
there is no legitimate government in Zimbabwe. We have consistently
stated that we have a constitutional crisis which is now being presided
over by the Joint Operations Command (JOC). For all intents and
purposes, we are in a military state.
The MDC is however
gravely disturbed by statements to the effect that if there is no
Government of National Unity there will be a civil war in Zimbabwe.
The MDC, as a people's project, in the midst of provocation, has
remained steadfast in our quest for peaceful democratic change.
We still remain committed to this goal. To suggest that there will
be civil war if there is no Government of National Unity is therefore
malicious. Any form of violence should and must be put squarely
on the ZANU PF. It is clear that the people of Zimbabwe want change
and the only way the regime can continue to hang on is by use of
violence against the people of Zimbabwe.
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