{{U.S. Special envoy Mr Andrew Young has called for forgiveness and the removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe to ensure the animosity of the past decade ends amicably.}} <\/p>\n
Mr Young \u2014 who was speaking at a policy dialogue forum organised<\/p>\n
by the Southern African Political Economy Series on Tuesday in the wake of his meeting with President Mugabe where he conveyed a message of reconciliation from President Barack Obama \u2014 said his visit had been sanctioned by the US Congress and the White House.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt took a decision-making process in the Congress and in the White House for me to come here.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision for me to come here was made by the Secretary of State (John Kerry) and approved by the President of the United States.\u201d
\nMr Young was accompanied by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Mr Reuben Brigety.<\/p>\n
Analysts say the US overtures, that come in the wake of similar overtures from Britain, the EU and the Commercial Farmers\u2019 Union, confirmed that Washington had lost confidence in MDC-T\u2019s ability to effect regime change and had bought into the various surveys pointing to a Zanu-PF victory in the forthcoming elections.<\/p>\n
The US administration\u2019s reservations with the MDC-T leadership were exposed in a diplomatic cable dated July 13 2007 which was leaked by whistleblower website WikiLeaks in which the then ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Christopher Dell, laid into MDC-T and its leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai as greenhorns.<\/p>\n
\u201cZimbabwe\u2019s opposition is far from ideal and I leave convinced that had we had different partners, we could have achieved more already. But you have to play the hand you\u2019re dealt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith that in mind, the current leadership has little executive experience and will require massive hand-holding and assistance should they ever come to power,\u2019\u2019 Dell said.<\/p>\n
Turning to Mr Tsvangirai, Mr Dell said \u201cTsvangirai is also a flawed figure, not readily open to advice, indecisive and with questionable judgment in selecting those around him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is the indispensable element for opposition success, but possibly an albatross around their necks once in power. In short, he is a kind of Lech Walesa character: Zimbabwe needs him, but should not rely on his executive abilities to lead the country\u2019s recovery.<\/p>\n
Mr Young, a veteran US diplomat on African affairs, said the US would work with whoever won the harmonised elections, again another major shift from the previous stance when the US insisted it would only consider Mr Tsvangirai\u2019s victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can forgive each other,\u201d he told a packed auditorium at the policy dialogue forum. \u201cThere is no future without forgiveness. \u201cTake positives of the past and use them to shape the future. We should ask ourselves, how can we give positives to the suffering of the past?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is Zimbabweans who can decide who they will elect to lead them and I told him that whoever wins the coming elections, the US will work with that person to improve Zimbabwe. We want to see Zimbabwe transform into a peaceful growing economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Young expressed regret over the deterioration of bilateral relations between Harare and Washington and noted his commitment to working out the disagreements in order to advance political and economic relations.<\/p>\n
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