Mugabe has not objected to talks with MDC, says Pres Mbeki
Posted 3rd July 2008 at 04:52 PM by NewsTracker
By Bathandwa Mbola
Sharm-El-Sheik - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has welcomed the African Union's (AU) call for a government of national unity and has not objected to calls to hold talks with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
This is according to President Thabo Mbeki, who was speaking during an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Wednesday.
The President said Mr Mugabe was fully supportive of dialogue between the Zimbabwean political parties to find a solution to the challenges the country is facing.
“There were no objections. He said they were committed to that and indeed, even as we were sitting at the meeting, the Zimbabweans were interacting among themselves,” Mr Mbeki said, following the close of the AU Summit in Egypt.
The African leaders at the summit called for a government of national unity in Zimbabwe after Robert Mugabe was sworn in as President on Monday.
He won the majority vote in the uncontested run-off election.
A summit of the pan-African body, which had been divided over what to do about Zimbabwe, adopted the AU Summit’s resolution calling for President Mugabe to enter negotiations with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Mr Tsvangirai withdrew from the election citing violence against his supporters.
Moments after the AU Summit adopted the resolution, which also called on Zimbabwe’s political leaders to establish a government of national unity, the European Union (EU) reported that it would not recognise the Zimbabwe government if it was not led by Mr Tsvangirai.
President Mbeki responded by saying that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mandate, as confirmed by the AU, required him to facilitate discussions between Zimbabwe's political parties.
The outcome of which could not be dictated.
“The result that comes out of that process of dialogue must be a result that is agreed by the Zimbabweans,” he said.
Regarding the international criticism of the AU and him for their acceptance of Mr Mugabe at the AU Summit, when he was perceived by some to be an illegitimate president, Mr Mbeki said the AU’s focus was on how Zimbabwe could move forward to emerge from its crisis.
“And that is why they came to the conclusion that the only way out of this was to encourage the Zimbabweans to engage with each other and indeed to produce an inclusive government.
“Everybody is convinced that it is only via an inclusive government that includes all the Zimbabwean political parties, within a framework that they themselves have agreed to, that this is the only way that you can take Zimbabwe forward.”
The AU noted with concern the violence in Zimbabwe, and had noted reports by observer missions on the negative circumstances surrounding the run-off election. – BuaNews
Sharm-El-Sheik - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has welcomed the African Union's (AU) call for a government of national unity and has not objected to calls to hold talks with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
This is according to President Thabo Mbeki, who was speaking during an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Wednesday.
The President said Mr Mugabe was fully supportive of dialogue between the Zimbabwean political parties to find a solution to the challenges the country is facing.
“There were no objections. He said they were committed to that and indeed, even as we were sitting at the meeting, the Zimbabweans were interacting among themselves,” Mr Mbeki said, following the close of the AU Summit in Egypt.
The African leaders at the summit called for a government of national unity in Zimbabwe after Robert Mugabe was sworn in as President on Monday.
He won the majority vote in the uncontested run-off election.
A summit of the pan-African body, which had been divided over what to do about Zimbabwe, adopted the AU Summit’s resolution calling for President Mugabe to enter negotiations with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Mr Tsvangirai withdrew from the election citing violence against his supporters.
Moments after the AU Summit adopted the resolution, which also called on Zimbabwe’s political leaders to establish a government of national unity, the European Union (EU) reported that it would not recognise the Zimbabwe government if it was not led by Mr Tsvangirai.
President Mbeki responded by saying that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mandate, as confirmed by the AU, required him to facilitate discussions between Zimbabwe's political parties.
The outcome of which could not be dictated.
“The result that comes out of that process of dialogue must be a result that is agreed by the Zimbabweans,” he said.
Regarding the international criticism of the AU and him for their acceptance of Mr Mugabe at the AU Summit, when he was perceived by some to be an illegitimate president, Mr Mbeki said the AU’s focus was on how Zimbabwe could move forward to emerge from its crisis.
“And that is why they came to the conclusion that the only way out of this was to encourage the Zimbabweans to engage with each other and indeed to produce an inclusive government.
“Everybody is convinced that it is only via an inclusive government that includes all the Zimbabwean political parties, within a framework that they themselves have agreed to, that this is the only way that you can take Zimbabwe forward.”
The AU noted with concern the violence in Zimbabwe, and had noted reports by observer missions on the negative circumstances surrounding the run-off election. – BuaNews
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