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The
GPA, road map to elections and moving Zimbabwe forward
Southern
Africa Development Community - Council of Non Governmental Organizations
(SADC-CNGO)
May
14, 2011
Introduction
1.
The Southern Africa Development Community - Council of Non
Governmental Organizations (SADC-CNGO) has been and continues to
be engaged with the political developments in Zimbabwe and other
parts of the Southern Africa region.
2.
SADC-CNGO is the leading organization that coordinates and facilitates
efforts and contributions of non-governmental organizations in the
Southern Africa region towards regional integration and development
in pursuit of Articles 16A and 23 of the SADC Treaty.
3.
The organization stresses the critical role of SADC and of individual
member states in ensuring that democracy, peace and human security
prevail, noting the political developments in North and West Africa.
Unless these issues are addressed there is bound to be instability
which usually result in the deaths of many people.
4.
As part of its continuous assessment of developments in Zimbabwe,
it conducted, among others, a high-level multi-stakeholder consultation
meeting in the late 2010 in Harare, Zimbabwe. It also conducted
broad-based consultations from 10 April to 16 April 2011 in Zimbabwe
in which SADC-CNGO had in-depth discussions with ministers, senior
public officials, representatives of political parties, leaders
of civil society, Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee
(JOMIC), the Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration
(the Organ) and the Zimbabwean Election Commission (ZEC). The main
aim of the interactions was to gain deeper understanding of the
situation on the ground and views of stakeholders to move Zimbabwe
forward in order to build lasting peace, democracy and stability.
5. This position paper is thus a result of those
interactions and underlines the position of the organization. Through
this position paper, SADC-CNGO would like to draw the attention
of SADC member states, parties to GPA
and all stakeholders in Zimbabwe to aspects that the organization
believes to be of highest importance and priority
Implementation of Troika decisions
6.
SADC-CNGO commends the decisions taken by the Summit of the Organ
Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation on the 31st
of March 2011 in Livingstone, Zambia, concerning the implementation
of the GPA.
7.
The Troika's decision comes at a time when Zimbabwe is faced
with two critical options: either to proceed with holding elections
in the current unfavourable circumstances and have the events
of 2008 repeated; or to fully implement the GPA and an agreed roadmap
to free and fair elections and produce uncontested election results.
8.
The Troika unequivocally urged all stakeholders to the GPA to "...
implement all the provisions of the GPA and create a conducive environment
for peace, security and free political activity and complete all
the necessary steps for holding of the election...".
9.
Realising that the Troika opted for the latter option in which all
stakeholders work together to produce an acceptable election outcome,
SADC-CNGO therefore calls upon all SADC member states to support
the full implementation of the Organ Troika's resolutions.
10. SADC-CNGO further welcomes the resolution of
the Troika to "develop the Terms of Reference, time frame
and provide regular progress reports..." on the implementation
of the GPA. In this respect, SADC-CNGO believes that the role of
the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) is pivotal.
11.
While welcoming the Troika's decision to include regional
officials into JOMIC, it also calls upon SADC and Facilitation Team
to provide space for other societal actors, particularly civil society,
parliamentarians, other political parties and community leaders
to play a role in the implementation and monitoring of the road
map to elections.
12.
Mindful of the importance of the road map to elections, SADC-CNGO
calls upon SADC, as the guarantor of the GPA, to ensure that negotiations
on the road map are finalized as a matter of urgency and that all
activities in the road map are time framed in consultation with
all stakeholders.
13.
Further, SADC-CNGO reiterates that the road map being developed
by the parties to the GPA, with facilitation from SADC, should ensure
that Zimbabwe conducts its elections according to the SADC Guidelines
and Principles governing democratic elections. This is the regional
yardstick on the freeness and fairness of elections.
14.
Whilst the holding of free and fair elections is essential, SADC-CNGO
is also of the view that the roadmap should also set the foundation
for long term peace-building and consolidation of democracy in the
country. Therefore, SADC-CNGO urges SADC, the SADC facilitation
team and the political parties to GPA to ensure a long-term perspective
in resolving the current problems and not just focus on elections.
On political
violence
15.
The urgency of the points raised in this position paper also comes
from the recent pronouncements by some of the parties to the GPA
to the effect that elections would be held soon. The recent history
of the country shows that elections are strongly associated with
the prevalence of politically motivated violence. In fact, the relief
that has been witnessed after the signing of the GPA and the formation
of GNU seems to have come to an end as more and more reports of
incidents of politically motivated violence come out.
16.
In this regard, SADC-CNGO welcomes the Troika's resolution
that " ...there must be an immediate end of violence, intimidation,
hate speech, harassment, and any other form of action that contradicts
the letter and spirit of GPA" and accordingly calls upon all
political parties to stop from engaging in political violence.
17.
Recognizing the centrality of peace-building, in moving Zimbabwe
forward, it is therefore important for SADC to call upon parties
to the GPA to strengthen and ensure the independent, effective and
objective functioning of the Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation
and Integration.
On the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Swaziland
18.
SADC-CNGO notes with concern the dragging of the resolution of the
political challenges in Madagascar due to a variety of internal
and external factors. It therefore calls upon SADC to strengthen
its facilitation role and harmonize its mediation with other national,
continental and international conflict resolution initiatives in
order to ensure the expeditious resolution of the crisis before
it escalates to unimaginable proportions.
19.
Whilst SADC-CNGO appreciates the work being done by SADC on Madagascar
and Zimbabwe it would also like to draw SADC's attention to
the prevailing situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
and Swaziland and the urgency for SADC to intervene.
20.
As the DRC heads to elections, concerns have been raised on the
preparedness, capacities of the election management body and the
less conducive election environment including the precarious peace
and security situation at the back of constitutional amendments
contested by other political parties. Adding to the above are the
logistical and technical challenges that the country's election
management body faces compounded by the vastness of the country
with limited infrastructure.
21.
SADC-CNGO thus calls upon SADC to do whatever necessary to assist
the country in ensuring smooth elections and thereby avoid post-electoral
violence that could take the country into deep conflict as was the
case in the past years.
22.
SADC-CNGO is also concerned with the situation in Swaziland.
23.
The recent protests and simmering unrests in Swaziland are clear
signs that something is not right, making a strong case for SADC
to prevent the escalation of conflict.
24.
SADC-CNGO therefore calls upon SADC to recognize the ensuing situation
in Swaziland as potential threat to regional peace and security,
recognize the country as a problem case and accordingly give the
necessary attention it deserves.
Conclusion
25.
Building on the progress made over the past years, including the
recent resolutions from the Summit Troika of the Organ, it is imperative
that the Extra Ordinary SADC Summit come up with concrete resolutions
on enhancing national and regional mechanisms for compliance and
full implementation of its decisions.
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