The countdown for the inclusive government to implement the GPA, as resolved at the SADC summit, began on the day the Troika tabled the report on Zimbabwe in Namibia.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told SW Radio Africa on Friday the countdown begun when 'pen was put to paper' during the Troika meeting last Sunday in Windhoek.

The SADC Troika on Defence, Security and Politics resolved that agreed issues in the Global Political Agreement should be fully implemented within a month. South African President Jacob Zuma, who is the SADC facilitator on Zimbabwe, later presented his report to the summit on Monday and his recommendations were endorsed and accepted by the full summit.

But President Robert Mugabe on Friday cast serious doubt on any hope of this happening when said he won't meet any further demands of the MDC until targeted sanctions are repealed. This is a complete u-turn to what Mugabe and his partners agreed to at the Troika in Windhoek.

Speaking at his party's central committee meeting Mugabe said that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai had failed to meet conditions of the 18-month-old coalition deal to have sanctions against him and his ruling elite removed.

The MDC remain adamant that they have no power to force the West to remove the targeted sanctions.

'The countdown started when the Troika met and adopted a report tabled by President Zuma. But what is disheartening for us is the fact that our colleagues in ZANU PF have once again begun to misrepresent issues,' Chamisa said.

He explained that ZANU PF, with the help of some identified culprits in the SADC Troika, had also manipulated the final wording of the communiqué issued after the summit.

It is believed the issue of governors somehow found its way into the final communiqué when it had been addressed and dealt with at the Troika meeting. The SADC communiqué said the appointment of governors will be done 'concurrently' with the removal of targeted sanctions.

The MDC feel short-changed that ZANU PF backtracked on their promise to appoint governors from their party, once the current term of the incumbents expired.

Chamisa said as far as they were concerned, there is no way the appointment of governors could be linked to the removal of targeted sanctions or restrictive measures.

He added it was impossible for the MDC to talk about issues they don't have control over because they didn't impose sanctions in the first place, adding the issue of governors and the issue of restrictive measures were as separate as day and night

'This is just pussy footing, dilly dallying and foot dragging by ZANU PF. What they're actually doing is laying an ambush along the roadmap for a free and fair election in Zimbabwe,' he said.

Jameson Timba, thr Minister in Tsvangirai's office, queried how the appointment of governors in one sovereign country can be linked to the lifting of sanctions by other sovereign countries.

He said; 'Nyatsoterera unzwe udofo. muhofisi maita benzi,' which means 'listen carefully and you will hear stupidity. There is a madman in the office.'

Analysts point out that ZANU PF has a habit of shifting goal-posts. When the issue of governors was pursued last year, Mugabe argued that it could not be resolved in the middle of their (governors)'s terms.

The current governors' terms expired on 31st July and once again ZANU PF are shifting the goal-posts and linking the issue of governors to the separate issue of targeted sanctions.

On Wednesday the United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Charles Ray said sanctions on Zimbabwe will remain, until conditions that led to their imposition are removed.

Speaking to journalists in Harare Ambassador Ray said although the targeted sanctions were under constant review, the decision to remove them would be influenced by progress in the implementation of the GPA and respect for human rights.