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Weekly anb09277.txt #7

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 27-09-2001  PART #7/7
* Tanzanie. L'opposition réclame une nouvelle Constitution - Les leaders des douze partis d'opposition envisagent d'adopter une démarche commune pour amener le gouvernement à réviser l'actuelle loi fondamentale en vigueur dans le pays depuis 1977. Les leaders ont déclaré qu'une conférence nationale constitutionnelle sera organisée dans les jours à venir pour "faire progresser les choses". Les consultations de novembre verront la participation du corps diplomatique, des ONG, des intellectuels, du chargé de la législation des partis politiques et d'autres personnalités. L'opposition a également prévu de renouveler sa demande pour la création d'une commission électorale indépendante. (PANA, Sénégal, 23 septembre 2001)
* Tchad. Développement rural - La Banque africaine du développement (BAD) a approuvé un prêt d'environ $11,6 millions en faveur d'un projet de réduction de la pauvreté dans le département de Biltine, à l'est du Tchad. Le projet tend à améliorer les revenus des cultivateurs, à augmenter de 20% l'accès à la santé et de 10% l'accès à l'enseignement dans les six années à venir, a indiqué la banque dans un communiqué le 19 septembre. Les autres domaines visés par le projet comprennent la protection des eaux, le développement de plans d'irrigation, l'amélioration des pâturages et l'établissement de plantations agroforestières. (IRIN, Abidjan, 21 septembre 2001)
* Togo. Arms ring busted - Security forces in Togo say they have arrested 16 people in connection with an illegal arms network in West Africa. Officials say the group -- 14 Nigerians and two Ghanaians -- was arrested on the border with Ghana. The officials say members of the group were carrying American-made weapons capable of firing missiles as well as assault rifles, hidden in their vehicles. It is believed they were taking the weapons to Nigeria. Officials say they are investigating the source of supply. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 September 2001)
* Tunisie. 4ème mandat pour Ben Ali? - Le 25 septembre, le président Ben Ali a été "exhorté" par son parti, le Rassemblement constitutionnel démocratique (RCD, au pouvoir) à briguer un nouveau mandat présidentiel aux élections prévues en octobre 2004, a indiqué l'agence Tunis-Afrique Presse (TAP). M. Ben Ali achève en 2004 son troisième mandat, qui devrait être le dernier, selon la Constitution tunisienne qui limite à trois les mandats présidentiels d'une durée de cinq ans chacun. Les observateurs s'attendent donc à une nouvelle modification du texte de la Constitution pour permettre au chef de l'Etat de se représenter. Une grande majorité du Parlement tunisien est composée de députés RCD. Les quotidiens de ces derniers jours ont consacré des pages entières à des appels de soutien à la candidature de M. Ben Ali. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 27 septembre 2001)
* Zambia. International observers to monitor elections - Lusaka residents have welcomed a decision by the government to invite international organisations to come and monitor elections due later this year in Zambia. Citing a survey it conducted in Lusaka, the Zambian News Agency (ZANA) affirmed on 20 September that most Zambians were impressed with the government's move. ZANA said most people were of the opinion that across-the-board confidence on the transparency of elections in the country can only be possible where these are monitored by international organisations. Earlier on 20 September, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the government had extended invitations to international organisations asking them to come and monitor council, parliamentary and presidential elections expected to hold before the year runs out. (PANA, Senegal, 20 September 2001)
* Zambie. Observateurs aux élections - Les habitants de Lusaka ont accueilli avec satisfaction la décision du gouvernement d'inviter les organisations internationales à venir superviser les élections municipales, législatives et présidentielles prévues à la fin de cette année en Zambie, comme l'a annoncé le 19 septembre le ministre des Affaires étrangères. Selon une enquête effectuée par l'Agence zambienne de presse (ZANA), la plupart des gens estiment qu'une confiance à tous les niveaux sur la transparence des élections n'est possible que si elles sont supervisées par des organisations internationales. (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 21 septembre 2001)
* Zambia. More splits in ruling party - An influential figure in the Zambian ruling party and a close aide of President Frederick Chiluba has resigned as the party's national secretary, claiming the choice of Mr Chiluba's successor was fraudulent. In what has been described as a dramatic turn of political events, Michael Sata wrote to the Zambian leader, accusing him of ignoring party rules when he named outsider Levy Mwanawasa as his choice for presidential elections due later this year. Mr Sata said the constitution of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy does not give the party president powers to prescribe electoral rules or to supervise party elections. His resignation, which has taken a lot of people by surprise, comes four days after he resigned as minister without portfolio. He has not said whether he will leave the party for a new one but it is widely expected that he will do so. In April over 80 senior members of the MMD, including the vice-president, formed the break-away Forum for Democracy and Development party which is being seen as a serious challenge to the MMD. Mr Sata added that as a committed Roman Catholic, he "would rather lose" what he called "artificial honour and prestige than accept illegal proposals." A spokesman for the government, Vernon Mwaanga, described his decision to leave the party as honourable as Mr Sata has never accepted Mr Mwanawasa as the party's presidential candidate. (BBC News, UK, 25 September 2001)
* Zimbabwe. Mugabe's silence - Zimbabwe's presidential elections must be held in 2002 as stipulated by the constitution. However, Mugabe's silence over the election dates is raising questions, as political violence is continuing unabated, the police and judiciary are being "doctored" and "diluted" to meet Mugabe's objectives. People are now asking: "Is Mugabe intentionally causing chaos so as to create an environment conducive for him to declare a state of emergency?" If Mugabe should declare a state of emergency so as to perpetuate his hold on power, this will only extend the life of parliament by six-monthly-periods up to a maximum of one year, as stipulated by the Constitution. Also, there is no provision in the Constitution which allows for an extension of the President's office. People are also wondering: Taking into consideration the plummeting economy and mounting pressure Mugabe is facing from the European Union and Southern African Development Committee states, will Mugabe be driven to call for early elections before January 2002. The Constitution, however, calls for elections to be held within 90 days, only if the President is dead, resigns or is moved from office by Constitutional means. Mugabe's current term of office started on 1 April 1996 and expires at midnight on March 2002. The earliest permissible date for the presidential election, will be 6 February and not beyond March 2002. (A. Deke, ANB-BIA, Zimbabwe, 21 September 2001)
* Zimbabwe. Elections partielles - Le parti au pouvoir au Zimbabwe, le ZANU-PF est sorti vainqueur des élections partielles qui se sont déroulées au cours du week-end, remportant ainsi une importante victoire psychologique avant les cruciales élections présidentielles de l'année prochaine. Le candidat de la ZANU-PF a obtenu 15.500 voix, soit plus du triple des voix recueillies par le candidat du MDC, principal parti d'opposition. Les analystes considèrent ces élections partielles dans la circonscription de Chikomba comme une épreuve décisive pour tester la popularité des partis avant le scrutin présidentiel. (PANA, Sénégal, 24 septembre 2001)
* Zimbabwe. By-election - 23 September: Large numbers turn out to vote in a by-election for the seat left vacant by the late war veterans leader, Chenjerai Hunzvu. The election is in the rural constituency of Chikomba. However, human rights groups have said that the run-up to the vote was marred by murder and intimidation. 24 September: Mugabe's ZANU-PF win the seat. They have 15,570 votes against 5,207 for the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MMD). (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 September 2001)
* Zimbabwe. Le FMI suspend son aide - Le 25 septembre, le Fonds monétaire international (FMI) a annoncé qu'il suspendait son aide au Zimbabwe au titre de la facilité pour la réduction de la pauvreté et la croissance, en raison des arriérés accumulés par Harare (53 millions de dollars à la fin août). Le conseil d'administration du FMI a appelé les autorités du Zimbabwe à les régler au plus vite et "reconnaît que l'engagement pris de procéder à des remboursements trimestriels est un premier pas vers le rétablissement de la coopération avec le FMI". (Le Monde, France, 27 septembre 2001)
* Zimbabwe. Pressure mounts on Zimbabwe - 20 September: As pressure mounts on Zimbabwe to restore the rule of law on white farms, the government is seeking a Supreme Court ruling to endorse the controversial land reform programme. Last December, the court ruled that the government should restore order on the farms. It also told the authorities to come up with a clearly defined programme for land distribution before acquiring land. That order was however ignored and hundreds of farms have been occupied while farmers and farm workers continue to be beaten and harassed. Still, the government argues, it has restored the rule of law on the farms and there are merely isolated cases of violence. But If it wins this case, then it could claim that all previous land occupations were in accordance with the law. However, the white-dominated Commercial Farmers' Union claims that 20 farms have been invaded and scores of farm workers and farmers attacked since the Commonwealth Abuja agreement was signed two weeks ago. 25 September: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has barred Zimbabwe from receiving any further assistance because the country has fallen behind with its debt repayments to the fund. The IMF halted its main lending in October 1999, but the latest decision means Zimbabwe is also ineligible for any further borrowing at low interest rates under a programme intended to reduce poverty. The Fund said Zimbabwe was more than $50m in arrears with its loan repayments, and urged the government in Harare to address this issue promptly. The IMF said it would review the situation in three months' time. -- President Mugabe has left for state visits to Singapore and Vietnam and will attend the Commonwealth Summit in Australia next month. 26 September: Negotiations between the government and the white farmers are reported to have collapsed. "There is a divide that cannot be bridged", says Bharat Patel, the state attorney. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 September 2001) 

Weekly anb0927.txt - end of #6/7

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