Zimbabwe

Tsvangirai not attending Sadc meeting

Article published on the 2008-10-20 Latest update 2008-10-20 15:31 TU

Tsvangirai speaks at a rally on 19 October
(Credit: Reuters)

Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will not be attending the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) meeting in Mbabane. He is protesting a delay in processing his travel papers. Tsvangirai was to meet with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and four other regional heads of state in an effort to break a five-week deadlock over forming the unity government.

Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party said that the travel papers had been received late Sunday, even though the Sadc meeting was scheduled for Monday.

Tsvangirai's passport has not been renewed since it expired last year, and he has been given a temporary passport that is effective for only one trip. MDC's chief negotiator Tendai Biti called the passport issue an "insult" to the prime minister-designate.

The party considers this latest move by Mugabe as an indication that he is not sincere in wanting to negotiate to form the government.

"He wants to form a government without us," MDC spokesman George Sibotshiwe told RFI.

"By all means, he should do that. But we will not participate in a process where one party is asked to negotiate as a prisoner," he added.

 

African leaders offered to fly Tsvangirai to the summit, and sent a plane to pick him up.

Under the power-sharing deal signed five weeks ago, Mugabe was to retain his title as President of the country while Tsvangirai would be given the Prime Minister position. A smaller opposition breakaway party would be given three ministries, while Mugabe's ZANU-PF and MDC would distribute the rest.

The stalemate arose when Mugabe unilaterally chose the more sought-after portfolios, such as domestic and foreign, and retained control of the army.