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Tanzania: JK Calls for Restart of Talks
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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
16 May 2008
Posted to the web 16 May 2008
Bernard James
President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday appealed to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi and the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) to resume Mwafaka talks to end the two-month standoff.
The President also asked leaders of the two political parties to end public posturing and move the talks forward from where they stalled.
"It is about time the two parties went back to the negotiation table," Mr Kikwete said, adding that he believed positive outcome would be realised if the talks resume.
The President's appeal is contained in a statement issued by the State House in Dar es Salaam last evening.
He made the plea while holding talks in Dar es Salaam with foreign diplomats who called on him at the State House yesterday.
It was the first time President Kikwete has spoke about the stalemate of Zanzibar peace talks since CUF broke ranks with CCM over the power sharing deal.
The opposition party had asked President Kikwete to intervene to stop public bickering by politicians. It also accused CCM stalwarts of stalling the power sharing proposal in favour of a referendum.
However, while expressing optimism over the parties' response, Mr Kikwete maintained that CCM did not turn its back on the Zanzibar negotiations, maintaining that negotiators only differed on procedures to implement the agreement.
The President appeared to be in favour of holding a referendum to decide the power sharing deal, an idea CUF has rejected. CUF wanted Mr Kikwete to directly bring Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume face to face with CUF secretary general Seif Shariff Hamad.
"I'm optimistic things will go on well," President Kikwete told French minister for International Cooperation Alain Joyandent who is in the country for a two-day official visit.
The President briefed the visiting minister the history of mwafaka talks that started a year ago.
The CCM-CUF peace talks on Zanzibar political rift came to a standoff in March after CCM National Executive Committee meeting at Butiama last month decided to take to the wananchi a proposal on a coalition government through a referendum.
CUF immediately announced to pull out of the talks, accusing CCM of reneging on the agreement and called for nationwide demonstrations.
The President informed the French minister that the decision to form coalition government was first reached seven years ago in 2001 which paved the way for the current peace talks.
The President insisted that the Butiama NEC decision did not make any amendment on the between reached by the two parties, but added to recommendations made by the Mwafaka committee.
One of the added recommendation was to engage the wananchi to decide on the implementation of the Mwafaka and to lay down procedures on the sunset clause of the Mwafaka.
The president also held talk with the British High Commissioner in Kenya, Mr Adam Woods and insisted that there was still a chance to bring back the two parties to the negotiation table.
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He said CCM's decision at Butiama has not deviated on the fundamental agreement.
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