PARLIAMENT'S HANDS TIED AS MPS AWAIT AGREEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000933 SIPDIS AF/S FOR B. WALCH DRL FOR N. WILETT ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM ZI SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT'S HANDS TIED AS MPS AWAIT AGREEMENT Classified By: CDA Katherine Dhanani for reason 1.4 (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) The speaker of the Zimbabwean House of Assembly, Lovemore Moyo, met with polecon chief and poloff on October 17 to discuss the current state of affairs and legislative agenda in Parliament. Parliament is awaiting the outcome of the ministerial negotiations between ZANU-PF and the two MDC formations, and Moyo is unable to move forward with the MDC-T legislative agenda until an agreement is reached. This is delaying the drafting and passage of Constitutional Amendment 19 that will incorporate a ZANU-PF*MDC agreement if reached, a new budget, and the creation of critical parliamentary committees. Despite the lack of an agreement, Parliament will remain in session. It has been vigorously debating issues including sanctions, land, and humanitarian assistance since it convened on October 14. -------------- Parliament Constrained by Lack of Deal -------------- ¶2. (C) On October 17, Moyo discussed with us the current state of affairs and legislative agenda in Parliament. He explained that Parliament is currently constrained by the lack of an agreement between the MDC and ZANU-PF on the composition of a new Cabinet and ministerial allocations. In the absence of an agreement, Parliament cannot proceed with the passage of the proposed Constitutional Amendment 19, a new budget, or even the creation of parliamentary committees. Q (C) Moyo told us that once ministries are fully allocated and ministers assigned to their posts, Amendment 19 will be drafted by the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. The understanding between the negotiators is that ZANU-PF negotiator Patrick Chinamasa--who is widely expected to be named Minister of Justice--would produce a draft with input from MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti and MDC-M secretary-general Welshman Ncube. ¶4. (C) Likewise, Parliament has to wait for the Ministry of Finance to produce a new government budget before the House can debate and vote on the proposal. As the Ministry of Finance is still being contested, Moyo did not expect to see a budget draft soon. ¶5. (C) Parliament is also constrained in constituting the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO) because some of the MPs who would be considered for seats on the CSRO could end up as ministers. (NOTE: The CSRO is the principal parliamentary committee, and is responsible for selecting the chairpersons and members of all other committees, including the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the media regulatory authority, the Parliamentary Legal Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, and the portfolio committees. END NOTE.) -------------- Moyo's Priorities and View on Cooperation -------------- ¶6. (C) Foremost among Moyo's and the MDC's legislative priorities is amending the repressive Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and Public Order and Security Act (POSA). Moyo had already discussed this with his legal team and told us that it was "one of the key things we have to amend." He commented that, "We have the numbers; we can do it." Another priority was ensuring that the HARARE 00000933 002 OF 002 Broadcasting Services Act allowed for the successful registration of new radio stations. ¶7. (C) Moyo told us that the functioning of his office is limited by having to request foreign exchange funds from the Office of the President. For instance, his request for funds to travel to Kenya last week to speak with his Kenyan counterpart and Kenyan Prime Minister Odinga was denied. He said MDC lawyers are preparing a challenge to presidential control of his office based on separation of powers ¶8. (C) In previous meetings with the Ambassador and USAID, Moyo had requested U.S. assistance for himself, his office, and key legislators to build parliamentary expertise and work around his financial limitations. We told Moyo that USAID is prepared to provide assistance but had not yet received concrete proposals from him. He promised to provide these. ¶9. (C) Moyo cautioned that assistance, while welcome, should be discrete because of ZANU-PF efforts to tarnish the MDC as a puppet of the West. He mentioned that he had been invited to travel to the U.K. to meet with the British speaker of the House of Commons, and that this trip raises similar concerns. ¶10. (C) When asked how he would characterize the prospects of cooperation between the parties in Parliament, Moyo said there was still suspicion and sides are "still attacking and sizing each other up." He saw some willingness to work on some specific issues dealing with human suffering and food availability. -------------- Parliament's First Two Sessions -------------- ¶11. (SBU) In the absence of specific legislative activities, legislators have been engaged in debate for the past two days on President Mugabe's speech at the opening of Parliament on August 26. Poloff attended the session on October 16, and for several hours MDC and ZANU-PF MPs alternately argued for what they believed were the foremost parliamentary priorities. ZANU-PF legislators focused on sanctions, whild MDC legislators spoke about the needs of the Zimbabwean people and concentrated on the shortage of food, water, medical supplies, and the breakdown of public service. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶12. (C) Though Parliament will remain in session, until an agreement is reached on ministerial allocations, its hands are tied, and we do not expect any significant legislative progress. Speaker Moyo is also challenged by trying to build cooperation between the various political factions, as well as accessing resources to develop parliamentary expertise and form international ties. END COMMENT DHANANI