ZIMBABWE — HARARE - MDC leader and Zimbabwe Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai has said he is holding out for a fair power-sharing arrangement that allows him to deal with the current economic crisis while at the same time ensuring that he guarantees the basic freedoms of Zimbabweans as well as democratize society.

 

Tsvangirai told a news conference at his Strathaven home that in looking at the allocation of ministries, his party had been informed by his party's desire for a fair power sharing arrangement.

 

 

Tsvangirai, who was flanked by MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa and deputy secretary general Tapiwa Mashakada, said they had not yet deliberated on the outstanding issue of the allocation of governors.

 

He said the issue remained outstanding but dismissed claims by Zanu-PF that it could not share the governors because they were not part of the agreement signed in Harare last month.

Tsvangirai, who was addressing the press for the first time since the deadlock over Cabinet posts, told reporters that the allocation of governors must be in the spirit of the result of the election on March 29. He said there was a serious dispute over Cabinet posts.

Tsvangirai said he was concerned by the lack of paradigm shift on the part Zanu-PF. "We have watched with dismay their continued hate language in the state media which is destroying the hope of our people as well as their confidence in this power sharing arrangement," Tsvangirai said.

He lamented what he termed "the continued trumped up charges against our Secretary
General," Tendai Biti, MDC members of parliament and various members of his party
structures across the country. Biti is facing treason charges for announcing election results after the election commission took five weeks to announce the results.

Tsvangirai said there was continued discrimination on the basis of political affiliation mainly taking place in the rural areas. He also lamented the continued interference with councils, by "the illegal minister of local government."

"We are noting with dismay the lack of sincerity and commitment to working together demonstrated by what should be a simple administrative issue like issuing my passport, which has been turned into a political weapon by our colleagues in Zanu-PF," he said.

Tsvangirai said throughout the negotiation effort up to the signing of the global political agreement he had compromised on many occasions with a view to ensuring that the political crisis was resolved in the interest of nation.

"We are committed to change and therefore do not have challenges accepting change in its many forms," Tsvangirai said. "Zanu PF is not sensitive to the plight of the people and therefore has not gone through a paradigm shift of accepting the change created by signing the global political agreement."

Tsvangirai said he had referred the case to SADC and the AU and said there would be no movement before the mediator flies in. "

We have communicated this position to the African Union and to SADC as well as to the facilitator and have confidence that our African brothers will do everytihng in their power to ensure that this issue is resolved with speed," Tsvangirai said.

"We as Zimbabweans owe it to our African counterparts to ensure that we spare no effort in resolving the outstanding issues. We look forward to working with SADC, AU, and the facilitator in order to find a solution."

 

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