WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2010-10-22 Time: 06:00:01 Posted By: News Poster
By Alex Bell
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has tipped the already unbalanced scales of power firmly in Robert Mugabe’s favour, by backing him in the current ambassadors row.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last week told the EU and the UN that ambassadors appointed solely by Mugabe don’t speak on behalf of the whole government. This position has put further strain on the fragile coalition government, with Tsvangirai urging foreign hosts of Zimbabwean ambassadors not to recognise those appointed unilaterally by Mugabe.
Mugabe has threatened foreign countries with retaliation if they heed Tsvangirai’s advice and expel the diplomats he appointed. His spokesman George Charamba on Monday told NewsDay news service that Zimbabwe would reserve the right to ‘reciprocate’ if its diplomats were thrown out of their postings.
“In diplomacy there is a principle called reciprocity,” Charamba said. “You do to the other countries what you want them to do unto you. If country A refuses to recognise ambassadors from country B then country B reserves the right to do the same.”
As the third principal to the ‘unity’ government, it was hoped that Mutambara would also stand against Mugabe’s unilateral decisions, which are in direct contravention of the Global Political Agreement (GPA). But the Deputy Prime Minister, and leader of the break away MDC-M faction, shocked MDC-T MPs by appearing to side with Mugabe.
Mutambara told Parliament on Wednesday that appointments of provincial governors and ambassadors were determined by the Head of State, and that Tsvangirai was “ill-advised” in his position. Mutambara made the remarks during Parliament’s Question and Answer Session and angry MDC-T MPs reportedly reacted by calling him a sell-out who should “just buy a ZANU PF membership card.”
Mutambara was responding to a question by Nyanga North MP, Douglas Mwonzora who wanted him to explain government policy on provisions in Amendment 19 of the Constitution, especially concerning the appointment of governors and Ambassadors.
“We value what we do in this country as an inclusive government and we must be aware how international law is enforced,” said Mutambara. “The relationship between countries is determined by a Head of State of that country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Mutambara said if any party had qualms about matters of constitutionalism, the Supreme Court, which is the Constitutional Court of the country, should be able to deal with them. He said the appointment of governors, judges or ambassadors by Mugabe was done according to the Constitution and the country’s leaders needed to adhere to that Constitution.
“Mr Speaker, we are a constitutional democracy which is very clear in terms of how our appointments are done pertaining to judges and ambassadors and these are done according to the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Mutambara’s party has however given an opposite official position on the issue. Last week, MDC-M spokesperson Edwin Mushoriwa told NewsDay that his party sided with the MDC-T on the position that Mugabe should have consulted when he made the appointments.
Tsvangirai last week wrote a series of letters stating his position that appointments made unilaterally by Mugabe were “null and void,” as they were done without consultation. This included a letter to EU president Jose Manuel Baroso and letters to the UN and four countries. The UN has since said it cannot expel Zimbabwean ambassador Chitsaka Chipaziwa, but urged the coalition government to abide by the GPA.
The EU meanwhile is still facing pressure to take action by not recognising the nominated Zimbabwean ambassador, Margaret Muchada. Geoffrey Van Orden MEP, who spearheads the European Parliament’s campaign for freedom and democratic change in Zimbabwe, has urged EU leaders to heed Tsvangirai’s plea and refuse to accept Muchada’s credentials on the grounds that her appointment is “unconstitutional.”
The European Parliament was set to pass a resolution condemning the unity government for their planned forced evictions of citizens from a settlement at Hatcliffe, Harare. Van Orden told SW Radio Africa this week that “under these circumstances it is unacceptable for the EU to accept the credentials Margaret Muchada, who has been nominated unilaterally by Mugabe, in direct violation of the Zimbabwean constitution.”
Van Orden said that “the human rights tragedy unfolding at Hatcliffe is yet another example of the continuing tragedy of Zimbabwe and will continue as long as Mugabe and his fellow exploiters hold on to power.”
Original date published: 21 October 2010
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201010220195.html?viewall=1