Back to Index

ZANU-PF Politburo rejects roadmap, insists on elections in 2011
Dewa Mavhinga
July 14, 2011

Just to alert you all that ZANU-PF's highest decision-making body, the communist style Politburo met in Harare yesterday (13 July) and, according to ZANU-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, unanimously resolved to insist on elections this year and to reject the proposed roadmap presented to them by their negotiator Patrick Chinamasa until timelines and other aspects of it are revised.

ZANU-PF further resolved to find ways of pushing the MDC to elections this year, accusing the MDC-T, particularly Finance Minister Tendai Biti of refusing to release funds to expedite the constitution-making process. Rugare Gumbo, incredibly alleged that party leader Mugabe was not aware of a number of issues, including that government had no money to fund the constitutional reform process.

Comment: Despite this resolve by ZANU-PF, it is unlikely there will be elections this year, it appears to me that even within ZANU-PF there is no consensus on the demand for early elections - but the enduring challenge for the party is how to deal with Mugabe's succession where some had hoped that he would be their presidential candidate to face Tsvangirai. There is a feeling that if Mugabe is not the candidate, no other leader can hold the party together or the security chiefs together, hence the scramble for elections in 2011 where they believe they can still present Mugabe to the nation as candidate - that may not be possible next year or later.

ZANU-PF is cornered as SADC has rejected elections outside of a roadmap, and ZANU-PF knows there is no shred of legitimacy in anything election that does not have SADC's backing - but the fight is on.

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