By Martha Moss - 19th October 2009
There can be no compromise on the fundamental tenets of democracy
Morgan Tsvangirai
Zimbabwe's prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said there can be "no compromise" on democratic principles, following his party's temporary withdrawal from Harare's unity government.
Writing in the latest issue of the Parliament Magazine, Tsvangirai, who leads the Movement for Democratic change, calls on the global community to support Zimbabwe as it moves towards democracy.
His comments came as Brussels called for the power-sharing political agreement to be implemented as a matter of urgency, following news that the MDC party had "disengaged" from the government.
Tsvangirai confirmed on Friday that he would not attend cabinet meetings, chaired by president Robert Mugabe, in protest over the jailing of one of his senior aides.
The prime minister said the detention of MDC treasurer Roy Bennett, nominated to become a minister in the unity government, showed that Mugabe's Zanu-PF party was an "unreliable" partner.
"It has brought home the reality that as a movement we have an unreliable and unrepentant partner in the transitional government," the AFP news agency quotes Tsvangirai as saying.
Tsvangirai had been due to attend the European development days inStockholm, but his office told this website that he had cancelled histrip to deal with the crisis in Harare.
"Zimbabwe today faces a crisis of confidence in its new government asboth the letter and spirit of its founding political agreement arebeing openly ignored and breached," the prime minister writes.
Inhis Parliament Magazine article, Tsvangirai also says Zimbabwe canlearn some lessons from the former Communist states in eastern Europe,but insists that "it is impossible to walk the exact same path" todemocracy.
"There can be no compromise on the fundamental tenetsof democracy, but there must be flexibility and understanding as to howthat political dispensation is achieved," he writes.
He adds,"The transition to a true democracy is more likely to be successfulwith the support of the global community, in line with the domesticsensitivities prevalent in the transitioning country.
"Thatgoodwill and support from a country towards the peoples of another whostrive for democracy, is more effective the closer the two countriesare situated geographically.
"Just as being part of a 'poorneighbourhood' can have an adverse affect on a country's economicdevelopment, so the same is true of those states that exist in regionsof democratic poverty."
EU development commissioner Karel De Gucht raised concerns over the appointment of ministers to key posts, including provincial governors and the attorney general.
A commission statement said that De Gucht also "notes with concern… a lack of movement on the democratisation of the media, the constitutional process, the land audit and rule of law issues".
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