READOUT ON SADC SUMMIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000059 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 E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM ZI SUBJECT: READOUT ON SADC SUMMIT Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (U) A marathon SADC Extraordinary Summit meeting ended at about 4 am today with SADC declaring that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai should be sworn in on February 11 as prime minister with cabinet ministers to be sworn in two days later. South African president Kgalema Motlanthe reportedly told the press that both parties had agreed to form a unity government. In response, the MDC issued the following press statement: We came to this summit with five (5) outstanding issues which are: - The Enactment of Constitutional Amendment Number 19 - The definition of National Security Council legislation - Equitable allocation of portfolio ministries - The appointment of Provincial Governors and other senior positions - The Breaches of the MOU and the GPA It was our expectation that the SADC processes would be above board and be beyond reproach. Regrettably once again we note that Mr. Mugabe was allowed to sit in during the closed session of the plenary meetings. Thus once again Mr. Mugabe has been unfairly allowed to be a judge in his own cause. As far as the merits are concerned, our expectations were again that SADC would come up with a just resolution to the outstanding issues in the interest of Zimbabwe and all the parties concerned. Quite clearly the conclusions reached as reflected in the communique fall far short of our expectations. Most importantly they do not accord with our National Council resolutions of the 14th of November 2008 and 12th of December ¶2008. It is important that finality be brought to this issue and therefore our National Council will meet on Friday 30th of January 2009 to define the party position. ¶2. (C) With regard to outstanding issues, MDC officials in Pretoria told us that as a result of the Summit, negotiators from both parties will meet in Harare later this week to discuss allocating governorships according to the relative strengths of the three parties. Negotiators will also discuss the status of abductees. At the SADC meeting last week in Harare, the parties agreed to discuss draft legislation on the composition and powers of the National Security Council. There was no progress on allocation of ministries (which the MDC considers the most important unresolved issue) or breaches of the MOU and GPA, understood to mean primarily the appointments of Gideon Gono as Reserve Bank governor and Johannes Tomana as attorney general. ¶3. (C) Eliphas Mukoneweshuro, the MDC official in charge of external relations, who was part of the MDC delegation in Pretoria, told us today that there were mixed sentiments within the MDC as to whether or not to form a GNU. He said Tsvangirai would postpone his planned trip to Addis Ababa for the AU Summit to chair a meeting of the MDC National Council on January 30 at which the MDC hoped to finalize its position. Mukoneweshuro expected Tsvangirai to attend the Summit but noted he has no definite plans. ¶4. (SBU) Tsvangirai is planning to hold diplomatic and press briefings this afternoon in Pretoria. -------------- COMMENT -------------- HARARE 00000059 002 OF 002 ¶5. (C) It would appear that Tsvangirai and some of his advisors are inclined to join a government of national unity once they believe they have wrung maximum concessions from SADC and ZANU-PF. We note that the MDC press statement did not reject the SADC position out of hand but expressed disappointment. There are two motivations for joining a GNU: 1) to play a role in government, play a part in increasing fissures within ZANU-PF, and to build the MDC for the next elections; and/or 2) to assume positions in government with the accompanying emoluments. On the other hand, hardliners, like MDC secretary general Tendai Biti, are opposed to a GNU under any circumstance. ¶6. (C) The MDC National Council on November 14 and December 12 stated that entry into government was dependent on satisfactory resolution of outstanding issues. The issue now is whether the minimal progress that has been made will change votes, particularly if Tsvangirai supports a GNU. Mukoneweshuro believes that the January 30 National Council meeting will be lively with the result not predictable. END COMMENT. MCGEE