adminnegotiators with mixed feelings.
Negotiators to the GPA on Wednesday signed the roadmap timeline on issues to be addressed before Zimbabwe goes to the polls.
Political analyst, Mr Goodwine Mureriwa said the timelines were necessary for setting the tone for free and fair elections.
He said the only worry for Zimbabwe was Western interference in the affairs of the country.
Mr Mureriwa said the West would never accept any reforms that did not yield the regime change agenda.
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“It is good to have the timelines because without them we would have never expected free elections. It is clear that the West will not accept the process if they do not yield to the regime change agenda,” he said.
Mr Mureriwa said when Ministers Patrick Chinamasa, Elton Mangoma and Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga went to Brussels to engage countries that imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe, France made it clear that they were interested in pursuing their interests.
According to the French government, the agenda is not about “democracy, the MDC or such nebulous ideal, that we have sanctions against Zimbabwe, it’s about our interests, individually as countries and collectively as the European bloc.”
“It’s not about the progress you make under the GPA or inclusive Government.
“It is about our reading of it, in relation to our interests, singly and collectively.
“Only when these two points are satisfied, will sanctions go.”
Mr Mureriwa said: “The French don’t care about reforms; they will not bless the whole process if the desired goal of regime change doesn’t yield anything.”
Another political analyst Dr Ibbo Mandaza hailed the latest developments saying it was clear that there are no elections this year.
“It is good there is consent among the parties and it is something that the country needs.
“It shows that there will be no stampede to elections.”
However, National Constitutional Assembly chairman Professor Lovemore Madhuku dismissed the process as a “non event”.
“There is nothing to celebrate . . . we just got the dates and they are saying Copac will determine the process, they are not serious.
“It is meaningless because most of the things cannot be determined, they are conditional.
“There is no useful development here and we can’t force the nation to believe there is development,” he said.
Prof Madhuku said the negotiators had ignored the fact that the draft constitution would have to go for referendum.
“Who told them that the constitution is going to be adopted at the referendum?
“They are not respecting the people,” he said.
Among the issues whose timelines were set include the removal of sanctions where all parties would vigorously call for the removal of the heinous embargo.
On elections the parties agreed that the delimitation of constituencies and gazetting of the polling stations would be done in terms of the constitution.
Presidential proclamation of the election dates would be done in consultation with the Prime Minister.
The negotiators also agreed that the enactment of agreed electoral amendments would be done within 45 days from Wednesday.
However, the negotiators failed to agree on staffing of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, security sector reforms, allegations of state- sponsored violence and the deployment of security forces in the country.
They also disagreed with the MDC formations’ call for enactment of an Act of Parliament regulating the operations of the CIO.
Zanu-PF also rejected calls by the MDC formations to amend the Public Order and Security Act saying that was done in 2007 by all the political parties through negotiations.
Online Reporter