HARARE – An international human rights group has slammed Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party of shielding abuses by ZANU PF – in the name of trying to save Zimbabwe’s shaky coalition regime.

New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the power-sharing government formed by the MDC-T and ZANU PF last February has largely failed to end rights abuses or to institute fundamental reforms.

It said the new regime in Harare has made no attempt to repeal or substantially amend repressive legislation such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), which continue to be used by President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF to harass political opponents and rights activists.

“The MDC lacks real power and does not consistently speak out against the continued abuses, possibly seeking to save the fledgling power-sharing government,” the watchdog said in its annual for 2009 released at the weekend.

ZANU PF uses its control of the security forces and the judiciary to harass, abduct, torture and kill those it considers opponents.

Mugabe’s supporters have continued to violently invade commercial farms in total disregard of the rule of law, while police intimidation and harassment of MDC-T and human rights activists persist unabated.

Police, prosecuting authorities, and court officials aligned with ZANU PF continue to persecute MDC-T legislators and activists through politically motivated prosecutions.

At least 17 MDC-T legislators face various trumped-up criminal charges, with at least five legislators already convicted by the courts.

The watchdog said it appeared that the MDC-T had no solution to ZANU PF’s continued abuse of power.

Tsvangirai announced in October last year that the MDC-T had “disengaged” from the unity government, ostensibly over the treatment of a senior aide but mainly due to intensified ZANU PF attacks on his supporters.

This was followed by a two-week stand-off between Mugabe and Tsvangirai in which the latter led a boycott of Cabinet meetings chaired by the 85-year-old leader.

The MDC-T only called off the boycott after the intervention of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in November and after Mugabe agreed to discuss outstanding power-sharing issues.

But there has not been much movement in terms of addressing the sticking points from the September 2008 Global Political Agreement, save for window-dressing appointments of commissioners to sit on new media and electoral bodies.

Mugabe and ZANU PF have remained adamant in their refusal to honour the rest of the issues agreed by its negotiators during discussions with the MDC-T and a breakaway MDC faction led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.

Negotiators from the three parties have reportedly agreed on 16 of 28 outstanding power-sharing issues.

The three leaders have however failed to find a compromise on appointment of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor, Attorney General and swearing in of Roy Bennett – treasurer general of the Tsvangirai-led MDC-T party – as deputy agriculture minister.

Mugabe has refused to rescind his unilateral appointment of two of his top allies to head the RBZ and the AG’s Office.

The veteran leader has also refused to swear in Bennett as deputy agriculture minister, insisting he has to be cleared by the courts of the terrorism charges he is facing first.

In addition several new issues have emerged during inter-party negotiations that have been taking place since November with the MDC-T said to be demanding that the Joint Operations Command (JOC), the supreme organ that coordinates state security, be dismantled since a new National Security Council (NSC) formed as part of the power-sharing pact should perform the JOC’s duties.

Also outstanding are issues regarding the review of ministerial allocations, parallel government structures, conferment of national hero status, the chairing of Cabinet, Cabinet rules and the role and position of the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, George Charamba.

Charamba has been accused of leading a campaign of hate speech aimed at derailing the coalition government.

The MDC-T is also said to have demanded that it be given control of the ministries of foreign affairs and home affairs.

ZANU PF is said to have refused any suggestion to dismantle or reform the JOC which it says should remain in existence to oversee operational matters while the new NSC handles matters of policy.

Mugabe’s party is also opposed to the MDC-T’s demand for control of the home and foreign affairs ministries.

ZANU PF resolved at its congress last month that there should be no movement on the concerns raised by MDC-T before the latter successfully negotiates for the lifting of travel restrictions and an asset freeze imposed on Mugabe’s lieutenants by the West.

The congress instructed Mugabe and ZANU PF negotiators “to ensure that all outstanding issues, once agreed, must be implemented concurrently”.

“This means there should be no movement on the concerns of the MDC formations without corresponding and simultaneous redress of ZANU PF’s concerns such as the illegal Western sanctions, Western-funded pirate radio broadcasts and Western interference in Zimbabwe’s internal politics through the funding of parallel government structures and the sponsoring of political activities of NGOs as a force multiplier for the MDC formations,” read part of the resolutions.

ZANU PF accuses the MDC-T of not living up to a promise to lead a campaign for lifting of Western sanctions against the veteran Zimbabwean leader and members of his inner circle. – ZimOnline