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facilitate free and fair elections and should no go beyond 2013.

DPM Mutambara said this in the House of Assembly yesterday while responding to a question by Mutare South legislator Cde Fred Kanzama (Zanu-PF) on the lifespan of the GPA.
The DPM, however, said the GPA was not properly drafted as it gave an impression that its lifespan was only two years. “The Government that is running this country is a product of the GPA. When you read thoroughly that document there is nowhere the lifetime of the GPA is referred to as two years. The two years is coming from the mention of 18 months and six months. Yes if you add 18 and six you will get 24 but it then said we must sit down and assess whether we have achieved conditions for free and fair elections, have we achieved a new constitution? Our duty as the inclusive Government, as Parliament we must sit down and say how much is required for the thematic committees, for media reforms, for electoral reforms.

“These activities, these processes will tell us how much time we need to create conditions for free and fair elections,” he said.
DPM Mutambara said the inclusive Government would, however, not go beyond 2013. “We cannot go beyond five years. From 2008, 2013 is the outer limit, but we must work together to make our country peaceful and have a successful economy,” he said.

The DPM said it was important for everyone to put the nation’s interests first and be accommodative to every Zimbabwean.

President Mugabe has, however, said if the timelines agreed by the parties to GPA allow, elections can be held this year, if not, they will be held next year.

The MDC formations are, however, insisting on holding elections next year and continue shifting goalposts in the ongoing inter-party talks as a way to stall the process.

The MDC-T has of late been clamouring for security sector reforms, despite the fact that this was never discussed in the GPA.
The team facilitating the talks appointed by South African President Jacob Zuma has also said security sector reforms were never part of the inter-party political agreement.