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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Inclusive government - Index of articles
Taking
the direct route to a democratic transition - The road map to democracy
in Zimbabwe
Voice
for Democracy
October 07, 2009
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The
Roadmap
The Democratic Alliance's
'Roadmap to Democracy' in Zimbabwe is a timely and welcome
engagement by South Africa's opposition party. Its main strength
is that it calls for a democratic transition rather than a deal
stitched up between Zimbabwean leaders who no longer represent the
will of the people.
Their proposal seems
simple: agree to hold fresh elections; form an interim government;
craft a new constitution; and hold democratic elections. However,
it is not simple enough. We should drop the suggestions for the
formation of another interim government and the crafting of a new
constitution - and move directly to free and fair elections
that are supervised and secured by the international community.
An Interim
Government
The problem with forming
an interim government is that we already have one, but which is
not working. The MDC has been at pains to stress that this is a
'transitional arrangement' until fresh election are
held. Robert Mugabe calls it a 'government of national unity'
with an indefinite lifespan to maintain and extend his rule. While
the MDC has risked alienating its support base by making one compromise
after another, Mugabe has remained completely obdurate. He has not
only refused to fulfill the outstanding issues since the inclusive
government was formed, but has stressed that he has no intention
of doing so.
Regarding, for example,
the controversial appointments of Reserve Bank Governor, Gideon
Gono, and Attorney General, Johannes Tomana, Mugabe said, "I
have laid down my foot and said no, they will never be [replaced]."
No amount of Morgan Tsvangirai pleading with SADC countries to pressure
Mugabe will make the slightest difference.
The MDC is powerless
against Mugabe for two main reasons. The first is that, despite
having lost the March 2008 Presidential election, the Global Political
Agreement (GPA) between the parties reinstated Mugabe's wide-ranging
powers as President. He appoints virtually every senior government
official, from governors and ambassadors, to permanent secretaries
and the top security personnel. The second reason is that he controls
all the powers of state coercion: the police and the military, as
well as state security agents and the militia. With these powers,
Robert Mugabe is again firmly back in control.
Just as Mugabe has no
incentive to see the inclusive government with the MDC work, he
has no incentive to form an interim government. Would he agree to
negotiate the formation of a new interim government? Probably -
but only as a strategy to draw out a process to extend his rule.
Bear in mind that it took huge compromises by the MDC and months
of negotiation with Mugabe to end up with the GPA that reinstalled
all the powers he had lost! Then, to add insult to injury, he has
refused to implement the agreement and has carried on 'business
as usual'.
In short, negotiating
and forming an interim government would only play into the hands
of Mugabe by buying him still more time.
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