March 2013 is five months away and Zimbabwe is abuzz with talk of general elections which should end the shaky unity government and usher in a new administration.
Newsday Comment
After three years of an inclusive government that has – by its own admission — failed to co-exist, to the detriment of the nation, it is the wish of Zimbabweans that a single party that wins the mandate of the people takes over the reins of power and be judged in accordance with its performance.
Finger-pointing, accusations and counter-accusations has become the order of day in the GNU, alas!, as the nation bleeds!
Accountability of diamond revenue remains unclear, war veterans holding Cabinet ministers hostage, the ethanol fuel project turning political — the list of crises is endless and the solution, in the eyes of many, are elections — early ones if possible.
But one question beckons: Are Zimbabweans ready for polls, come March 2013 as suggested by President Robert Mugabe in an affidavit filed by Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa at the High Court as he sought extension of a deadline to hold by-elections in three constituencies?
The answer appears a definite NO and reasons are there for all to see. The constitution-making process is yet to hold a second all-stakeholders’ conference, which, judging by the current impasse, looks set to be stormy — what with Zanu PF having literally rewritten the draft produced by Copac. Thereafter, Parliament would have to endorse the draft before a referendum is held. Only heaven knows how long this process will take. That’s number one. Secondly, the coalition government has failed to implement several key Sadc resolutions made at the Maputo summit in August. Recommendations were that the GPA should “. . .establish a mechanism in Cabinet that will ensure co-ordination and the implementation by ministries/departments of those parts of the agreements that talk to their line functions to ensure smooth implementation and that Sadc, through the facilitators, must be kept informed of the implementation mechanism.” That has not been done.
And now are free and fair elections feasible in the face of all these shortcomings? Yes, elections can be held in March — or even earlier for that matter, but the question is how credible would they be?
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Memories of the bloody 2008 runoff polls in which an estimated 200-plus mainly opposition party members were murdered, are still fresh in the minds of many and what Zimbabwe does not want are elections which leave room for a repeat of that forgettable era.
If anything, at this juncture, the country should be gripped with ensuring the Sadc roadmap is fulfilled in letter and spirit. Anything less than that, the nation may as well brace for the worst.
