Harare — PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is set to clash with US President Barack Obama when they meet on Friday as Washington has already announced that it will dig in on sanctions while the Prime Minister has a brief from President Mugabe and Cabinet to press for the lifting of the sanctions.
Reuters quoted US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mr Johnnie Carson, as saying: "There is no indication that the US government is prepared to lift economic sanctions."
A White House Statement that confirmed the Friday meeting set for the Oval Office said discussions would centre on "how the United States can support the forces of reform as they work to bring the rule of law, respect of human rights, free and fair elections".
PM Tsvangirai, however, is on assignment from the President and Cabinet to press for the removal of sanctions and restoration of the country's lines of credit.
Mr Carson said there was need for social and economic reforms before the sanctions can be lifted.
"Increasing substantial aid is dependent upon them making political concessions and fulfilling the agreements that they have made and in returning the country back towards more democratic rule."
The Government has already instituted a number of reforms by launching the Short-Term Emergency Recovery Programme and embarking on a constitution-making process among other things.
"The President looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe to the Oval Office on Friday, June 12," the Office of the Press Secretary said.
"The two leaders will discuss the difficult road ahead in Zimbabwe."
The Bush administration imposed economic sanctions on Zimbabwe when Bush signed the so-called Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act on December 22, 2001 after the Government embarked on the land reform programme to address colonial land imbalances.
The US sanctions law binds US executive directors to each multilateral or financial institution to vote against the extension of loans, credit, credit guarantees or cancellation of indebtedness to the Government of Zimbabwe until the US president authorises them to do so.
The Obama administration extended the sanctions in March this year despite repeated calls by the inclusive Government, Sadc, Comesa and the African Union for their removal.
In refusing to lift sanctions, the US President claimed Zimbabwe had not resolved "its political crisis" and continued to pose "an unusual, and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States".
Before visiting the US, PM Tsvangirai was in the Netherlands on Monday where he met Dutch Prime Minister Mr Jan Peter Balkenende and Development Co-operation Minister Mr Bert Koenders.
The Dutch government turned down PM Tsvangirai's request for the lifting of economic sanctions and a financial package saying they wanted to see more reforms.
PM Tsvangirai said the objective of his visit was to educate "our partners" on political developments in the country.
He said Zimbabwe had been "isolated for the last 10 years" and it was time to normalise relations.
PM Tsvangirai is expected to also visit France, Britain, Sweden and Belgium.
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Well PM is on an assignment from the president, why did this paper say DUTCH say no Tsvangirayi as this was his own mission.I dont know where people get the Idea that if the PM meets with a foreign leader he will come back with bags of money. Zimbabwe has been in isolation for almost 10 years, the fact that they agreeing to meet and discuss is good enough. Most of these countries will continue with humanitarian aid. The article sounds quite stupid to me Mr Editor when you say he came out empty handed, instead of analyzing that Zimbabwe has not had a government representative talking to these governments in almost 10 years. We expect better from your reporters lets have something incisive and analytical.
The US may well choose to lift the ZDERA sanctions... of course, when that happens, the US economy will promptly decline to the same level as Zimbabwe's.
Who will you blame for Zimbabwe's continuing starvation then? The Dutch?
As evidence of this, Kenya is now loaning money to America.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thebusinessofgiving/2009321304_africa ns_loaning_to_americans.html
The rand is looking like a better investment all the time now.
I think the world should help PM Morgan Tsvangirai...as the only people who are getting hurt are the ordinary citizens of Zim...they have suffered enough and the rest of the world should only work with the PM....Zimbabwe used to be known as the bread basket5 of Africa..i should know i lived there...let the world please build up Zimbabwe..as that is a safer place to be and the country is so beautiful...Let the people of Zim stop suffering and start living in a democratic society......PLease Please Please
More LIES from the Herald to mislead the people of Zimbabwe!
Of course the Herald edits out the part of the statement their overlords didn't like.
The Herald printed this:
"Reuters quoted US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mr Johnnie Carson, as saying: "There is no indication that the US government is prepared to lift economic sanctions.""
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Africa&set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id= nw20090609102903857C705982
The actual quote is this:
"There is no indication that the US government is prepared to lift economic sanctions against those in Zimbabwe who have been most responsible for undermining the country's democracy and destroying its economy," Carson said in an interview with Reuters.
"Increasingly substantial aid is dependent upon them making political concessions and fulfilling the agreements that they have already made and in returning the country back towards more democratic rule,"
Just the latest example of the LIES the Herald tries to feed the people of Zimbabwe. If you're going to quote someone, use the entire quote, don't edit it and pretend that was actually the statement made.
The "sanctions" allegedly against Zimbabwe some of you here like to cry about are sanctions "against THOSE in Zimbabwe who have been most responsible for undermining the country's democracy and destroying its economy."
I wonder who "those" people might be?............ Ask yourself, "who are the wealthiest people in Zimbabwe?". "How did they get so rich?"
There's NO clash coming! MT will meet President Obama and I'd have to guess President Obama will say something like, "I'd like to help you....... BUT............"
There's no money coming, just like the Dutch told him, but Zimbabwe doesn't need money any more, they abandoned their own currency!
Remember, Zimbabwe is now "Totally Empowered!", Zanu-PooF/Mugabe wouldn't have lied like their servants at the Herald do, would they?
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