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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Talks, dialogue, negotiations and GNU - Post June 2008 "elections" - Index of articles
Power
sharing not power grabbing
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition
October 11, 2008
The Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition notes with disappointment the Government Gazette
of Friday 10 October which announced an uneven allocation
of Ministries as part of implementing the power sharing agreement
signed by the 3 Principals of political parties represented in Zimbabwe's
parliament on the 15th of September 2008. The Coalition also notes
with equal disappointment, the selective application of the agreement,
as seen through the swearing in of Vice Presidents Joice Mujuru
and Cephas Msika on the 13th of October 2008. Both incidents, which
President Mugabe is at the centre of, go against the spirit of the
power sharing agreement, and deserve to be castigated.
In the Government Gazette of the 10th, ZANU PF is allotted most
of the key ministries, with Ministry of Finance provisionally given
to ZANU PF with a caveat that it was still in dispute. As seen from
the allocation, ZANU PF is in charge of the mainline ministries,
leaving the MDC with second tier service oriented and new ministries
which can easily be made into departments of the first 15 taken
by ZANU PF.
The gazetted
allotment plan is nothing close to the power sharing arrangement
envisaged within the agreement of September 15 2008 agreed to by
the three principles and demanded by the African Union. Power sharing
should not just be quantitative, but also qualitative and sectoral.
The gazetted list, far from being evident of power sharing, seems
to be in real terms a benevolent gesture by ZANU PF in creating
and duplicating ministries in order to accommodate the MDC in the
new government.
The Coalition urges ZANU PF to act in good faith in the process
of implementing the letter and spirit of the Power Sharing Agreement.
And since the list as gazetted is not cast in stone, the Coalition
demands its nullification, and urges the production of a list that
is reflective of a will to share power. As it stands now, the gazetted
list does not take into cognizance the fact that Zimbabwe is on
the edge of a precipice because of the ill conceived and ill implemented
policies of ZANU PF, which were given a resounding vote of No Confidence
during the March 29 Election. If the allocation is truly a reflection
of the people's will, it would have slanted towards giving
those who enjoy the good will of the people and broader community
of nations a chance to take us out of the abyss of suffering.
In addition, the appointment and swearing in of the two Vice Presidents
alone, smacks of selective implementation of the deal, and one wonders
whether this will not be the steady pattern reflected in the inclusive
government if it comes to be.
The Coalition demands clarity from ZANU PF, if it feels that it
can go it alone, it should come out clearly and stop giving false
hope to the people of Zimbabwe by pretending to be amiable to a
power sharing arrangement. The people of Zimbabwe are cognizant
that a ZANU PF dominated arrangement will not begin the process
of ending the crisis in Zimbabwe. To that end, the political parties
are urged to keep the suffering people of Zimbabwe at the back of
their minds and to rise beyond myopic self interest and aspirations
of false authority and grandeur by looking out for what is best
for Zimbabwe. An ill conceived arrangement akin to what was gazetted
will not do them or the country any favor.
While political parties continue to scramble for power, Zimbabweans
continue to suffer with no lasting solution in sight. Most Zimbabweans
have been relegated to primordial hunter gatherers living on roots,
herbs and wild fruits, while the urban poor continue suffering under
crashing inflation rates of well over 231 million percent. Over
90 percent of the population is living in abject poverty and severe
malnutrition, and conditions hazardous to health with no clean water,
electricity and basic food stuffs. Long queues are visible at all
banks across Zimbabwe while the education sector is tottering on
the brink of collapse as is the case with the health sector which
is facing acute shortages of basic drugs and trained medical personnel.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition urges the parties to the September
15 deal to keep in mind that good politics will translate to good
economics and development. As it stands now, no meaningful development
can take place without a government that is reflective of devolution
of power from ZANU PF to the MDC, and one which enjoys the confidence
of the people of Zimbabwe and other stakeholders.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition demands:
- That the
Gazette on the allocation of ministries be nullified, and a new
list be published after negotiations with the Mediator, since
the parties to these talks cannot clearly agree.
- That the
parties to the agreement stick to the letter and spirit of it,
act in good faith, and cease to act unilaterally on state matters.
- That political
parties and politicians rise beyond myopic partisan projects and
do what is right by the people in order to end their suffering
and abate hunger and starvation.
- That selective
implementation of the deal be stopped forthwith, and
- That if the
power sharing agreement is not tenable in terms of implementation,
political parties should pull out of it, and allow the people
of Zimbabwe to be given an opportunity to elect a democratic government.
This government will be mandated with taking the country forward,
through putting in place transitional arrangements that allow
for a new people driven constitution paving the way for fresh
and free democratic elections under international supervision.
Visit the Crisis
in Zimbabwe fact
sheet
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