This week's issues
| Missing GPA pages cause confusion |
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| Written by The Zimbabwean |
| Tuesday, 18 August 2009 16:34 |
 HARARE – Confusion surrounds the 36-page global political agreement (GPA) – the foundation of the government of national unity, amid revelations that the document signed by President Robert Mugabe was tampered with by the AG’s office. (Pictured: President Robert Mugabe) A meeting to iron out this, and other contentious issues, was scheduled for Monday but was postponed because deputy prime minister Arthur Mutambara was not available. The stakes are high. With SA president Jacob Zuma scheduled to visit Zimbabwe next week, it is vital that the GNU make some progress towards full implementation of the agreement. MDC members say it has recently come to light that, after Parliament unanimously passed the full document, only half was sent to the president's office for signature. “An act must be enacted by both parliament and the president,” said Sheila Jarvis, a lawyer with a background in constitutional issues. “It is impossible, legally, to have an act in two different versions - one version approved by parliament, another by the president.” Jarvis said the attorney general's office did not bother with the missing pages because they weren't important and the office wanted to save paper. But without the missing text, the agreement could give Mugabe absolute control over the management of future referendums, including one on a new constitution in 2010. The MDC has registered its concern about the shuffled paperwork. The Memorandum of Understanding signed between the three principals late last year was also tampered with after they had initialled it, and before it was finally signed. |
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