Zanu-PF gun to Tsvangirai's head: Sign or we convene parliament

Aug 20, 2008, 15:10 GMT

Harare - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF on Tuesday continued to hold a gun to Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai's head, threatening to convene parliament unless he signed up to a deal to share power with Mugabe.

'The clerk of parliament made the announcement and the parliament has to meet. If the MDC is serious and genuine about talks they must sign as soon as possible so that we find the way forward. We have given them a chance so we will proceed,' deputy information minister Bright Matonga said.

The MDC had earlier warned Mugabe against convening parliament, saying to do so would sound the death knell for tripartite talks on a government of national unity.

In a statement MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti said reports that parliament would be convened next week were 'unwelcome' and 'disturbing.'

'The MDC has not consented to the convening of parliament,' Biti said, warning any move to swear in MPs would be 'a clear repudiation of the memorandum of understanding and an indication beyond reasonable doubt of Zanu-PF's unwillingness to continue to be part of the talks.

'In short, convening parliament decapitates the dialogue,' Biti said.

The memorandum of understanding is the agreement governing the stalled power-sharing talks between Zanu-PF, Tsvangirai's MDC and a breakaway MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara.

In it, the three parties agree none should convene parliament or form a government during the talks, 'save by consensus.'

Mugabe got the nod to convene parliament at a weekend summit of leaders of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC).

On Tuesday, state radio quoted parliament clerk Austin Zvoma as saying the convening would take place either on August 25 or 26.

The announcement follows the SADC's summit's failure to bridge the divide between Mugabe and Tsvangirai on how to share executive power, if, as proposed, Tsvangirai becomes prime minister in a unity government.

The MDC is pushing for Tsvangirai to have full control of government because he bested Mugabe in the last credible presidential election in March. Zanu-PF wants Mugabe and Tsvangirai to share power, on the basis of Mugabe's victory in a second round of voting in June that Tsvangirai boycotted.

It was unclear what exactly the reopening of parliament would mean for the MDC.

Tsvangirai's MDC took 100 seats in 210-seat parliament to Zanu- PF's 99 in March elections. An independent took one seat. The balance of power lies with Arthur Mutambara's faction, which took 10 seats.

Although the two MDCs agreed after the election to work together in parliament Mutambara said recently he would consider working with either Mugabe or Tsvangirai.