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Mediation talks
Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ)
Extracted from GALZ email newsletter July 2007
July 16, 2007

Nobody seems to be holding their breath when it comes to the current mediation talks taking place between MDC and ZANU PF in South Africa. Civic Society also needs to be careful that it isn't distracted by yet another red herring as happened with the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, put in place shortly before Zimbabwe's 2005 elections. ZANU PF made a few cosmetic changes to its Electoral Act and then resorted to the usual insidious tactics to ensure that the opposition could not campaign freely and to make it known what would happen if people did not vote the 'right way'. Civic society busied itself at conferences to discuss the principles but SADC felt justified in endorsing the elections as free and fair because the ruling party had abided by a few superficial rules.

We run the risk of a repeat scenario in relation to the 2008 elections and GALZ is concerned about these talks particularly in relation to their ensuring freedom of expression and movement. Civic society is again meeting at conferences, this time to discuss the mediation process: one recently ended in South Africa. Combined with Zimbabwe's Constitutional Amendment 18 which serves to provide the president with control over the timing and nature of his exit, these mediation talks are no doubt designed to provide another opportunity for ZANU PF to implement a few cosmetic changes which SADC leaders can then use to endorse the next elections as free and fair.

Of course civic society should play a role the mediation process but this time it needs to show its muscle. Whilst it is more difficult for MDC to pull out of talks without seeming like spoilers (and remember the two factions of the opposition are competing with each other for the spoils), civic society is free to make its own choices. It needs to demand that certain minimum requirements be firmmly in place at least six months before the conducting of any election, that is by the end of September. If this cannot be achieved, civic society should call for a boycott and insist on elections being delayed until such time as the following minimum requirements are in place:

1. Full freedom of expression in line with normal democratic principles, which itself requires:

a) The right to hold rallies and to campaign in any area without unnecessary condition or conditions being determined by partisan bodies (that is, the police) and without being subjected to militia violence
b) The right of independent newspapers and dailies to publish
c) The right to establish an independent electronic media and full and fair access to the public electronic media, again without conditions being set by a partisan body

2. Proper expression and fair assessment of the will of the people in elections, which itself requires:

a) That one's status as a voter must not be dependent on a partisan registration process
b) That the ability to vote must not be dependent on a partisan voting process
c) That the expression of the voters' will must not be susceptible to manipulation through the denial or potential denial of food aid, other threats or violence
d) That the assessment of the voters' will must be done by an impartial body in a transparent, accountable and verifiable manner

Whilst recognising that opinion may be divided in civil society as to what are the major priorities (the NCA understandably is pushing for a new constitution, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network for minimum election requirements), we need to pull together on this one and, as a united front, place realistic demands before the mediators.

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