Citizens Cabinet Position On The NPRC Led Political Parties Dialogue

(Position on the announced National Dialogue Meeting at State House tomorrow and Recommendations to those invited)

The Office of the President has invited registered political parties to lay the ground for a “national” dialogue aimed at resolving the country`s multi crises. As the Citizens` Cabinet we wish to express our dismay and disappointed at the brazen exclusion of key stakeholders of our society in such a crucial process.To start with the invitation is too precipitous. Recently we issued out a statement sharing our perspective on how the dialogue can be credible and fruitful. Some of the cardinal pillars for a credible and effective dialogue include Composition (inclusive national dialogue “ – not a dialogue among presidential candidates);Competent facilitation(the president’s office cannot be a legitimate/credible/effective facilitator of a national dialogue -even to discuss the framework for dialogue – that’s the function of an independent credible and mutually acceptable Convener);and a level and conducive environment. Considering that the fate of the whole country is at stake, we cannot sit and watch as a minority in our society experiments with our livelihoods and our future. We thus caution the invited parties and the country at large and state that;

1. Noting the invitation by President Mnangagwa to presidential candidates in the 2018 elections to a meeting to discuss the “Framework for national dialogue”.
2. Encouraged to see the all-round acceptance of the need for national dialogue.
3. Disappointed that the president’s precipitous invitation seems to be an attempt to preempt efforts towards genuine dialogue.
4. Underscoring the civil society minimum conditions for National Dialogue that are already in the public domain, including the immediate release of political prisoners, the cessation of the current clampdown by the state and the return to barracks by the armed forces; and a full disclosure of the number of citizens killed so far, those injured, and the requisite action to deal with the perpetrators.
5. Reiterating the need for an independent and credible Convener mutually acceptable to all for national dialogue to be meaningful (The President’s office cannot be the convener)
6. Emphasizing that national dialogue must be an inclusive process that brings together all stakeholders beyond political parties / presidential candidates 

7. Accordingly, call on all those invited, through the note issued by Misheck Sibanda( on behalf of ED), to politely decline to attend tomorrow’s meeting while reiterating the minimum conditions for the National Dialogue.

NOTHING FOR US WITHOUT US! SUNUNGURA ZIMBABWE