Liberalise CIO, says Coltart

Zimbabwe Times
6th February 2009
By Raymond Maingire

HARARE –David Coltart, the Senator for Khumalo representing the Mutambara-led MDC, has called for the liberalization of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and the Attorney General’s (AG) office, saying they have been used as partisan institutions to entrench President Robert Mugabe’s rule.
As parliamentarians across the political divide celebrated and spoke in praise of the unanimous passing of Constitutional Amendment. No 19 Bill on Thursday, Coltart dared to talk tough on the new developments.

“There are institutions such as the CIO and the AG that have to be liberalized if we are sincere about forming a unity government,” Coltart told fellow senators shortly before the Upper House voted on the Bill on Thursday.

“In the new government, people who have committed crimes must be prosecuted and face due process of the law.

“Zimbabweans should once again be allowed to claim their rights. That right involves the right to seek legal representation, the right to be arrested and not abducted.”

Coltart said in the all inclusive government the courts should be allowed their independence to determine criminal matters without undue political interference.

The outspoken legislator said it took more than tolerance for all the parties to agree to what he described as a flawed deal.

“This agreement is flawed, it is imperfect,” he said.

“There are aspects that I do not like about the Bill. In fact, there is no party represented here today that is fully satisfied with it.

“The law is flawed because there are fearsome protagonists who shall now have to work together. We have to face the challenges that lie ahead in the context of the mistrust and disagreements that we have had.”

Coltart said the Bill was so flawed that it had attracted fierce protests from civic society.
“But we have to take it because there is no other non-violent option that was still available,” he said. “Our people are weary, our country is broke.”

Coltart said President Mugabe’s government was playing in the hands of its detractors by continuing to engage in violence against its opponents.

“We should now start using non violent means to resolve our differences,” he said. “Unless we all renounce violence, our nation shall remain a second class nation.”

Because of the flaws that we have experienced in the past, he said, it was easy to understand the skepticism that was emanating from countries such as America, the European Union and other Western countries about prospects of success in the unity government.

“There are many pitfalls that lie ahead. If this is to work, we have to demonstrate utmost good faith,” he said.

Coltart said Zimbabweans needed to work out modalities on how to bring back millions of what he said were brilliant Zimbabweans who have fled this country over the past few years.

He said the scenario of a unity government was not new in Zimbabwe and should not be viewed naively by both politicians and ordinary Zimbabweans.

He said Zimbabwe had been at the stage of a negotiated settlement to her political disputes before and failed to embrace the spirit of change despite the euphoria that characterized the then new dispensation.

“We saw this in the new administration that was formed as a result of the Lancaster House Agreement,” Coltart said.

“The same repressive laws that were used before 1980 to suppress the majority were never removed. The new government never made any effort to repeal those laws.

“The Rhodesian Broadcasting Corporation that was broadcasting partisan information was replaced by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation that is doing the same.

“The process of forming a functioning government will not be finished today. A lot of challenges lie ahead. Our vision is to have a tolerant, free, vibrant, multi racial and democratic society in Zimbabwe which will become the jewel of Africa.

“The passing of this Bill makes a significant step towards attaining that dream.”

The Bill, which was voted for by all the 184 lower house parliamentarians and all the 72 senators who attended the two sessions, now awaits assent by Mugabe.

The passing of the Bill seeks to create an executive post for Prime Minister-Designate, Morgan Tsvangirai who shall be the deputy chairperson of cabinet.

The MDC leader shall be deputized by his second in charge, Thokozani Khuphe and Mutambara, leader of the smaller faction of the MDC.

Mugabe, who remains in control of government, will chair the National Security Council and Cabinet, proclaim and terminate martial law and formally appoint his deputies.