ZIMBABWE - HARARE - MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has dismissed as "grossly unfair" criticism that he should abandon trips abroad to woo support against
President Robert Mugabe and instead concentrate on mobilising supporters at
home to demand a new government.

 

Tsvangirai, set to become Prime Minister under the terms of a new all-inclusive government agreed between President Mugabe and the MDC leader in September, is in Strasbourg, northern France, on a rare visit to meet key EU leaders, whose bilateral support would be crucial in kickstarting the economy under a new government.

 

France is the current chair of the EU.

Tsvangirai was given a red-carpet welcome by EU Development Commissioner
Louis Michel. He also met French President Nicolas Sarkosky Tuesday, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the powerful bloc.

Tsvangirai was in France to mobilise support from the European Union (EU) to do more to address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Zimbabwe.

But Tsvangirai has faced criticisms that his many trips abroad amid a deadlock at home over the establishment of a unity government are unnecessary.

 

State media, both ZBC and ZTV have rounded on Tsvangirai and accused him of walking out of his National Council meeting last Friday to fly to France on the "useless trip."

The MDC leader flew out to France on Friday using travel arrangements put in place by the French embassy in Harare. The Mugabe regime continues to refuse him a new passport.

 

Even the fiercely UK based pro-Zanu (PF) website run by convicted fake immigration advisers also took potshots at the MDC leader.

"Playing to the gallery has always been Tsvangirai's game," read an editorial on the pro-Zanu (PF) website. "What on earth is he doing in France, never mind the issue of the passport? There are ways round that. Shouldn't he be at the African Union since his party vowed that was the next "logical step"?"

So called independent analysts have also been lined up to accuse the charismatic MDC leader of wasting time on these trips instead of remaining in Zimbabwe "where his services were needed most" to mobilize supporters against the Mugabe regime.

"There was nothing he said in person to the EU leaders that could not have been relayed down the line of a telephone," said one cloumnist. He observed: "It (Tsvangirai's trip) is indicative of the shortcomings of the struggle against Mugabe. It explains why Mugabe is not even contemplating sharing power with the opposition. He should mobilize his supporters here at home to get into the streets to demand a new government."

Tsvangirai said the remarks were way off the mark.

"They completely miss the point," he said. "If you wake up one day to find your house on fire, do you remain in it to burn to ashes or you will run out to ask for assistance from your neighbours and friends? If we agree that approaching your neighbours and friends would be a reasonable step to take, then they should understand why we are doing this," said Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai said his meetings with the EU leaders were part of an aggressive campaign by his party to get assistance and stem a mounting humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.

The United Nations agency World Food Programme announced last week that it was short of US$140 million to fund its humanitarian operations in Zimbabwe until the end of March 2009 - with a shortfall of approximately 145,000 tons of food, including 110,000 metric tons of cereals and 35,000 metric tons of other food commodities.

Tsvangirai said his trip was to appeal for additional donations to urgently feed almost four million Zimbabweans following donor fatigue from the international community, which did not response generously to the WFP's appeal for cash contributions to feed starving Zimbabweans.

Tsvangirai said his party was committed to the power-sharing deal but warned that President Mugabe would cause the collapse of the agreement if he unilaterally constitutes a new government.
"He would have literally collapsed the deal," Tsvangirai said. He emphasized the urgency of the matter and said talks must not be allowed to run on forever.

"It can't be forever," Tsvangirai said. "We cannot go on and on and on."

He insisted that his party was not turning its back on its pledges and said it was vital for Zimbabwe to seize the chance to form a government.

"We are not walking away from the deal, we support the deal. We continue to defend the deal. But it must be a deal that reflects equitable power sharing," he told reporters. "If we miss the opportunity, then the tragedy for the country is even too desperate to contemplate."

Michel was quoted by French news agency AFP saying: "I assured Mr Tsvangirai of our support. Under the current circumstances, he doesn't seem able to assume his responsibilities (as premier), he wants the means provided by this responsibility, and we support him in this," he said.

 

"The strongest pressure that the EU can apply to help him is to announce a very strong (aid) commitment if a government is soon formed," Michel said. The European Commission provided Zimbabwe with around 90 million euros (US$114 million) in humanitarian aid in 2007, but all development aid to Mugabe's regime has been frozen.

According to the latest UN figures, the number of people needing assistance will rise to 5.1 million, or 45 per cent of the population, at the expected peak of the crisis in early 2009, and WFP plans to provide aid some 4 million every month until the end of March - as long as there are sufficient resources.

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOKE OF THE DAY - Bob angabaya kuforeign trip as usual Chinoz akasara. Bob manje achibva afona kuDen kuti anzwe kuti ndeipi naChinoz.

 

Chinoz achibva ati 'Ah kamufana kaye (Tsvangison) katanga futi zvemaStayaway. Izvozvi tiri kumba!

 

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