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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
A
New Zimbabwe - A New Beginning
Policies of the Movement for Democratic Change
2008
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A sovereign,
democratic, prosperous and self-sufficient nation led by a compassionate
government that respects the rule of law and the rights of all its
people, pursuing their welfare and interests in an honest, transparent
and equitable manner.
Contents
- Governance
Law
and justice (163KB): Justice, peace and unity under a democratic
and people-driven constitution
Defence
and national security (143 KB): Professional services protecting
the interests of peace-loving people
Home
affairs (151KB): Serving Zimbabweans efficiently without delay
Foreign
policy (146KB): Co-existing with other nations in peace, security
and dignity
Local
government (146KB): Delivering quality services in a democratic
and participatory manner
National
integration (168KB): Celebrating our unity in diversity
- Social issues
Labour
(144KB): Everyone has a right to a just job and to a decent living
Social
security (147KB): Enabling the retired, the disadvantaged
and the poor to live with dignity and security
Health
(203KB): A healthy nation is essential to productivity, development,
peace and prosperity
HIV/AIDS
(140KB): A holistic response to a national emergency
Education
(164KB): Developing people socially, intellectually and physically
for productive participation
in society
- Infrastructure
Energy
(141KB): Pursuing least-cost and renewable energy supplies to
drive a growing economy
The
environment (136KB): Living sustainably within the limits
of the natural world
Transport
(160KB): Networks that move Zimbabwe forward
Information
and communication (160KB): The right and freedom to know and
to be heard
- Appendix
(202KB): Some statistical assumptions and a draft budget
Introduction
We founded
the Movement for Democratic Change in September 1999 with the clear
objective of working towards the democratic transformation of Zimbabwe.
At that time, none of us imagined that it would take nearly a decade
to bring about the change we all desired.
At our congress
in March 2006, we set out a roadmap to democracy in which we stated
that we would launch a democratic resistance programme intended
to bring Robert Mugabe to the negotiating table in order for us
to unlock this crisis. The people were victorious in this regard,
and on 28 March 2007 SADC called for an extraordinary summit at
which they mandated President Mbeki of South Africa to mediate
between ZANU (PF) and the MDC. The resultant dialogue has led to
many positive developments, particularly reforms in POSA
(the Public Order and Security Act), AIPPA
(the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act), and the
Broadcasting Sevices Act.
Despite Mugabe's
insincerity in this process, we have renewed hope that elections
due in March 2008 will provide Zimbabweans with another opportunity
to elect a new administration to usher in a completely new dispensation
in terms of general governance, public welfare and democracy.
To this end
the MDC policy council, comprising the leadership of the movement
in Zimbabwe, assisted by many friends and colleagues all over the
world, has been working on a comprehensive revision of our economic
and social policies since our second congress in March 2006.
This document
summarizes the findings of the council and its views on what needs
to be done to stabilize the economy and to bring about reconstruction
and development as well as a complete restructuring of our economic
and social systems. We like to refer to this programme as our New
Zimbabwe campaign.
Since independence
in 1980 the government of the day has failed to bring the individual
freedoms and opportunities that had been denied the majority for
the previous century. After an encouraging start, our newly elected
government abandoned its early idealism and principles and set out
on a journey that has destroyed the economy, devalued our currency,
and made us the laughing stock of the region.
We face a daunting
task. When the people put their trust in us in March 2008, we will
take over the reigns of government in April, and we will have to
deal with the situation that is our collective legacy of 28 years
of independence and misgovernment.
Our infrastructure
is degraded, our factories are silent, our farms destroyed and abandoned.
We have accumulated debt that is nearly two times our total economic
output, and our export earnings will not pay for our essential needs,
let alone the prerequisites of development and reconstruction.
We still have
friends in the world economy, and in the region, and with their
assistance we will be able to halt inflation, bring back jobs we
have lost and restore our nation's dignity.
This will take
hard work, dedication and commitment on the part of all Zimbabweans.
We in the MDC want people to know, in advance of the elections,
what we will do with their mandate in all areas of our national
life. That is what is contained in this document. It sets out our
vision of the way forward, how we will achieve those goals and ambitions,
and what we will do to make our vision of the future a reality.
For our part we pledge that the MDC will pursue these stated goals
with all the energies and capacity we have. We will do so with integrity
and in a transparent manner that will allow all Zimbabweans the
opportunity to participate and comment on our efforts and policies.
I have no doubt in my mind that together we will succeed.
Morgan Tsvangirai
President
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