Thursday 10 July 2008

Statement by the President of the Movement for Democratic Change, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai

Over the past ten days, I and my party have stated categorically that there are no negotiations between ourselves and ZANU PF currently taking place. In addition, we have stated that no such negotiations can take place while the ZANU PF regime continues to wage war on my party and the people of Zimbabwe. This position has not changed.

There is a meeting currently taking place in Pretoria at which the MDC is represented by Secretary-General, Tendai Biti, and Deputy Treasurer-General, Elton Mangoma. Their presence at this meeting is solely to present the conditions under which genuine negotiations can take place and the mechanism under which these negotiations will be conducted as defined by the AU resolution. The lack of these conditions and an agreed framework in which negotiations can take place were the reasons for the MDC not attending the meeting between President Mbeki and Robert Mugabe last Saturday.

Those persons portraying this meeting as the beginning of negotiations between the MDC and ZANU PF are being disingenuous and exploiting the plight of the Zimbabwean people for political gain.

In addition, portraying these talks as negotiations also undermines the resolution of the African Union, the statements made by the G8 leaders and the current process underway at the United Nations Security Council, all of which are designed to pressure the ZANU PF regime to desist from its campaign of violence against the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe.

At present the state-sanctioned violence and repressive legislation employed by the regime is designed to silence the Zimbabwean people.

We in the MDC are committed to finding a peaceful, negotiated solution to the Zimbabwean crisis and we will take every opportunity to clarify our position and to allow the voice of the Zimbabwean people to be heard.

Our conditions for partaking in negotiations remain:

1.) 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.

2.) 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

3.) 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.

4.) Parliament and Senate must be sworn in and begin working on the people's business.

5.) The mediation team is expanded to include an AU permanent envoy.

Until the above conditions are in place no negotiations can take place on the substantive issues facing Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean people.

Statement issued by the President of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, July 10 2008