Zimbabwe Unity Government Agrees on Commissions

Zimbabwe's unity government partners have agreed on the members of three commissions. The appointment of the commissions is part of the agreement that brought about the government earlier this year.

The agreement was made after the leaders of the three parties that make up the unity government, President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, met Monday.

VOA news spoke to the prime minister's spokesman James Maridadi.

"They agreed that an announcement be made of three commissions, the media commission, the electoral commission and the human-rights commission," said the spokesman. "They have agreed on names."

Maridadi said the leaders must still finalize the members of the anti-corruption commission.

The commissions issue is just one of several outstanding issues from the Global Political Agreement that brought about the unity government yet to be implemented.

A few weeks ago, Prime Minister Tsvangirai boycotted Cabinet meetings citing unwillingness by Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party to fully implement the agreement.

Mr. Tsvangirai only resumed full government duties after the Southern African Development Community told the Zimbabwe parties to implement the agreement in full. The Southern African Development Community and the African Union are guarantors of the agreement.

The parties have since been involved in talks.

One of the thorniest issues is the appointment by Mr. Mugabe of central bank governor Gideon Gono and attorney general Johannes Tomana, which Mr. Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change says violated the agreement.

Mr. Mugabe says the appointments are not negotiable.

Maridadi said it is not up to a single party to decide the issues to be discussed.

"The issue of the reserve bank governor and the issue of the attorney general are issues, which should be brought before the principals and the principals must come up with a single position," he said.

Maridadi said the three leaders are to meet Wednesday to work towards finalizing the outstanding issues.