| |
Back to Index
Mugabe
re-election becomes 'almost certain'
Dumisani Muleya, Business Day (SA)
September 19, 2007
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/world.aspx?ID=BD4A567764
Zimbabwe's
bitter rival political parties, the ruling Zanu PF and the main
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), yesterday reached
an agreement on constitutional amendments to facilitate joint presidential
and parliamentary elections next year. The agreement, announced
in parliament amid expectations it would pave the way to resolve
the country's worsening political and economic crisis, almost
certainly ensures President Robert Mugabe would be re-elected for
another five-year term of office. This would extend his rule to
32 years. Mugabe has been desperate to ensure the Constitutional
Amendment (Number 18) Bill is adopted by both Zanu PF and the
MDC to guarantee the legitimacy of his grand plan to secure re-election
and manage his succession crisis. Even if Zanu PF has the necessary
majority to pass the Bill alone, it would have been viewed as illegitimate
if the MDC did not endorse it. By agreeing to the bill, the MDC
unwittingly ensures Mugabe goes to the elections in a much stronger
position than he would have done if the bill was not passed with
its support. The bill is designed to bring together the presidential
and parliamentary elections. Officially, government claims this
will help to cut down the costs of elections, but the real reason
was revealed in the Zanu PF central committee meeting on March 30.
Zanu PF senior official and legal affairs secretary Emmerson Mnangagwa
said joint elections would help Mugabe's re-election bid because
it would ensure Mugabe and ruling party MPs' political fates
were tied together.
Minutes of the March
30 meeting also show that the decision to hold the joint elections
was not a Zanu PF resolution, but that of Mugabe, Mnangagwa and
senior party official Patrick Chinamasa who is currently spearheading
Mugabe's plan in parliament. Zanu PF overwhelmingly wanted
the elections in 2010, but powerful elements unilaterally declared
they would be held in 2008. Retired army commander general Solomon
Mujuru, a powerful force in Zimbabwean politics, blocked Zanu PF's
original effort to have both elections in 2010, saying Mugabe would
benefit from another two years in power. The bill also helps Mugabe
to manage his explosive succession battle. It ensures Mugabe's
successor is hand-picked by parliament and Zanu PF insiders, which
guarantees Mnangagwa will take power, sidelining the Mujuru faction.
While Mugabe makes concessions on electoral issues in the bill as
a result of the ongoing talks between Zanu PF and the MDC facilitated
by President Thabo Mbeki, Mugabe and Chinamasa made it clear in
the Zanu PF politburo on September 5 the changes agreed to would
not affect their grip on power. Mbeki and the MDC are under pressure
to salvage something from the talks. Mbeki wants a solution for
the 14-nation Southern African Development Community, while the
MDC wants a negotiated settlement. But in the end Mugabe and Zanu
PF emerge as winners because the Bill takes off pressure with a
manageable early election.
Meanwhile, an
international think-tank yesterday called on SADC leaders to put
pressure on Mugabe to retire. In a report entitled Zimbabwe:
A Regional Solution? the ICG said the SADC was Zimbabwe's
"only real hope". It urges western leaders "to close
ranks" behind Mbeki. The report coincided with the release
of figures by Zimbabwe's Central Statistics Office that showed
hyperinflation had slowed to an annualised 6593% , down from 7635%
in July. The drop was attributed to a government decree in June
forcing traders to slash prices by over half on a range of goods.
The move resulted in panic buying and widespread shortages.
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
