February 09, 2009
Harare (Zimbabwe) - MP's from both the MDC and ZANU PF voted by a two-thirds majority Thursday to approve constitutional amendment number 19, which will give legal life to a shaky power-sharing deal signed in September last year.
The 210 member Lower House of Parliament voted 184 to 0 in favour of the amendment which will now be transferred to the Upper House of Parliament, known as the Senate for approval. Once the President signs the bill it becomes law under the country's constitution.
The deal looked under threat this week when the MDC accused ZANU PF of backtracking on earlier commitments following the failure of it's negotiators to show up for a Tuesday meeting that was to finalise outstanding issues. ZANU PF negotiators had claimed they did not have the mandate from Mugabe to discuss issues on the table, namely the composition of the newly created National Security Council and the allocation of posts for provincial governors. A parliamentary session scheduled for Wednesday to debate the bill was then postponed because of the impasse.
A meeting convened in South Africa for the negotiators on Wednesday was able to get both sides to agree on the issues. Thursday's parliamentary session was therefore a mere formality in terms of approving the amendment. At the beginning of the session, MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti said, "Everything has happened on the negotiating table other than physical confrontation. It is a miracle that we are here. We go into this government knowing that for this to work there has to be commitment. It is important to establish trust from the word go."
Speaking for ZANU PF Patrick Chinamasa said, "It has been a long, frustrating, quarrelsome journey characterised by animosity and name calling. But notwithstanding this, what is important is we have reached this path." The Amendment itself seeks to create the post of Prime Minister and his 2 Deputies. Under September's unity deal Mugabe will be President while Tsvangirai becomes the Prime Minister. The leader of an MDC breakaway faction, Arthur Mutambara is expected to be Deputy Prime Minister despite losing a parliamentary election in Zengeza.
The jury is still out on whether the unity deal will work. Critics point to Mugabe's past as providing clear examples of him breaking promises when dealing with perceived opponents. A similar government of national unity with Joshua Nkomo's ZAPU lasted 2 years before Nkomo was fired as Home Affairs Minister and 20 000 of his perceived supporters slaughtered during the Gukurahundi Massacres.
source.SW Radio Africa (London)