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Ballot update: Issue 2, March 2009
Zimbabwe Election Support Network
March 31, 2009

http://www.zesn.org.zw/newsflash_view.cfm?nfid=43

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Introduction

The report covers the month of March with some developments continuing from previous months. As the political situation settles with the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and the finalisation of some of the outstanding issues, Zimbabwe experienced some relief and resumption of some services that had since collapsed. The last ZESN Ballot Issue circulated in February made an analysis of whether the prevailing environment was conducive to the conduct of free and fair elections and concluded that there is no hope for democratic elections without meaningful electoral reforms and a new people-oriented constitution. ZESN recommended that before any election is called for, an extensive review of electoral laws, laws and regulations governing the media as well as institutional reform of electoral bodies is paramount to enable a conducive electoral environment and further recommended a people-driven constitution.

This report seeks to assess and analyse the political developments that have taken place at the national level including appointments and political balancing among the three major parties in Zimbabwe. The report also assesses political and social developments at community level in order to gauge the mood of voters to the developments in view of evaluating whether electorates are enjoying fundamental freedoms and human rights which will enable a free and fair election.

Political appointments

The appointment of 41 Ministers and 20 Deputy Ministers results in the ballooning of the executive to 61. Contrary to the 31 Ministers agreed in the Global Political settlement the 61 far exceeds an acceptable number to a country in economic down tail. Be that may, a political compromise had to be struck in order to bring about political and economic stability.

A cursory cost-benefit analysis would indicate that it would be more prudent to accommodate all political players in the cabinet and sacrifice the economy than put economic consideration above political stability. The accommodation of other political figures in some political parties assists in the reduction of the number of spanners that will be thrown in the works.

There however remains a group of political bureaucrats (Those who are senior administrators and are expected to be non-partisan but have been guided by their political affiliation in the dispensation of their duties) who continue to frustrate the political settlement as their loss becomes inevitable. These political spoilers are the worst enemies of the state as they derail the progress made so far and risk prolonging or starting afresh the political impasse that had bedevilled the country for so long for their own political and economic gains.

The appointments indicate a lack of gender consideration as stipulated in the three political parties' election Manifesto and Guiding principles. ZANU PF appointed only 13% women to Ministerial posts and 5% to Deputy Minister Positions. MDC T appointed only 20% women to Ministerial positions and 10% to Deputy Minister Posts. The MDC appointed a whopping 33% to Minister Positions and a depressing 0% to Deputy Minister Posts. The three political parties fall short of the SADC Gender and Development Declaration which stipulates that states have to ensure that there are at least 30% women in political decision making structures by 2005. It is clear that the political rhetoric and commitments on women political empowerment have not been matched with action.

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