An election must unite a nation

Robert Mugabe was at it again at the weekend, announcing to his party supporters that Zimbabwe would have another election by March 2012.

This is not the first time Mugabe has demonstrated his obsession with elections in Zimbabwe, previously marred by widespread violence and chaos.

In October last year, Mugabe vowed that election would be held in June 2011, only to keep on shifting dates without any convincing explanation to this day. The push for an early election has been a product of uncertainty inside Zanu PF, a party without any cogent policy positions and relies solely on violence as a campaign weapon.

Is Zimbabwe ready for a general election given what SADC and the AU set out to do to underwrite such a project?

Zanu PF's failure and outright refusal to implement the basic provisions of the Global political Agreement still stand in the way for a credible, dispute-free poll. The implementation of the SADC roadmap to legitimacy and the accompanying provisions for national sanity, interspersed by a dire need for comprehensive political reforms make it impossible for a poll to be conducted in seven months time.

That aside the technical, legal and political demands for a free and fair elections are still far from the radar.
"We cannot go beyond March next year (before another election). I will definitely announce that date. It does not matter what anyone would say," said Mugabe, much to the unguarded pleasure of his party's faithful.

He took a swipe at the constitution-making process for what he called its delaying tactics to complete the process, a key requirement of the Global Political Agreement.

The MDC has stated, again and again, that there shall be no election in Zimbabwe until a new Constitution and essential reforms are firmly in place. In other words, the process and the pace of reform shall determine Zimbabwe's future election date.

This is more complicated than it seems to Mugabe. Since the disputed Mugabe-run off of June 27, 2008 Zimbabwean politics assumed a new dimension.
What happens in Harare shall have to be a product of a regional and continental endorsement, regardless of what the parties at home might wish to see.

Further, Mugabe possesses no legitimate right or power to unilaterally call for plebiscite. Everything that he has to do must be a culmination of a consultative process between President Tsvangirai and himself as the two share executive authority in the new dispensation.

Zanu PF has spent much of 2011 trying to wriggle out of an embarrassing spectacle after it prematurely resolved, at its annual congress in Mutare last December, to hold elections this year. The party was humiliated out of that thought as the national sentiment was completely against such a move. It is clear from Mugabe's weekend declaration that the constitution-making process has to be fast-tracked to accommodate his wishes or there could a remote chance of an election without a new supreme law for the country.

The second option is highly unlikely as Zanu PF is set to enter into such a race alone or with inconsequential and brief-case political parties, known to emerge only in election times – only to disappear soon afterwards. The case of Simba Makoni's outfit, Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn is a case in point.

If not what has to be done. Political watchers contend that: "Waiting for the conclusion of the constitution making process may divert attention from other process which could be undertaken concurrently with the constitution making process.

One such process is voter registration." While voter registration is said to be an ongoing process, the reality is that the process only gets speeded up in the run-up to an election.  

"Another issue is the cleaning up of the voters' roll. The recent analyses of the voters' roll should be taken as the foundation for a proper challenge so that the voter's roll could be cleaned in time for another election," says the Parliamentary Monitor, a civil society newsletter.

"Another issue is voter education which is one grey area in our electoral history. Voter education entails emphasizing the secrecy of the ballot box, how to mark the ballot papers and the freedoms that citizens enjoy.

It is thus important that while the main focus is on a constitution that would address the sticking points on elections, the building blocks such as voter education, registration, cleaning of the voters' roll and amendment of the Electoral Act are acted upon to ensure free and fair elections."

As Mugabe officially opens the Fourth Session of the Seventh Parliament today, it will interesting to check out the Government's legislative agenda as that shall give pointers to events in the next seven months. What about security sector re-alignment and the role of securocrats in future elections?

Where are SADC and the AU in all these developments? The last summit in Angola and its decisions shall be instructive, much as they are instructive.

The United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Charles Ray Ray said the United States would like to see a free and fair election in Zimbabwe and respect for the will of the people.

"The US wants to see nonviolent and credible electoral contest and for the people's will to be honoured.

We also recognise the value of the coalition government arrangement in bringing diverse views together and we respect the government officials who have engaged across party lines to foster Zimbabwe current economic recovery," he said.

An election must unite, not divide, a nation. An election must allow for choice, competition and fun - not violence, tears and loss of life.

The Obama administration has pledged to press for human rights and accountability. Washington will always insist on the observance of the rule of law, he said.

"We will continue to advocate for the respect of protection of human rights, worker's rights and equal protection for women and children."

"We will continue to monitor and bring to light all such abuse of the rule of law in Zimbabwe. And let me be clear," said Ray.

Some Zanu PF officials want to use the Indigenisation and Empowerment law to loot the country's economy.

Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has ordered foreign-owned banks, six mining companies and five other firms to toe a Zanu PF wealth distribution line which many fear is meant to address the needs of the political elite. Failure would mean risking company licences.

On empowerment, Ray said the US supports a transparent and legal programme designed to benefit the poor.

"There is no objection to black empowerment, there is no objection to indigenisation in Zimbabwe, what worries investors is the atmosphere of uncertainty that is created through actions of a small number of people who don't represent the poor but represent themselves.

"Zimbabweans should enjoy fruits of their resources but that has to be done in way that will see the poor also enjoying," said Ray.

Meanwhile, Joshua Sacco, the Zanu PF Secretary for External Affairs in the youth league has ordered NGOs operating in the area to stop distributing food aid in the absence of Zanu PF.

Sacco, who is eyeing the Chimanimani Central constituency in the forthcoming elections, has told MDC councillors in Chimanimani Rural District council not to engage the services of NGOs without first consulting Zanu PF leadership in the area. The Chimanimani Central constituency was previously held by Senator Roy Bennett.

According to MDC councillors, Sacco, accompanied by Zanu PF war veterans and youth militia, is reportedly addressing council meetings where he is giving the directive.

A Project Manager with a local NGO operating in the area confirmed Sacco's interference and said they were now not able to carry out their operations.

"We are facing problems in executing our core business. We have been victimised for working with MDC councillors as Zanu PF was claiming that we were sidelining the party in our operations. But, we deal with Chimanimani Rural District council in our entire developmental project and it is not our fault that the council is dominated by MDC councillors. If Zanu PF had more councillors in the council then we were still going to engage them," he said.

Another source from an NGO operating in the same area said: "It is unfortunate that the deserving community is being forced to suffer because of some few individuals. I think all the parties have to have some talks and iron out such issues. But, I don't think there is need to stop food aid distribution just because a certain party is not involved."

NGOs operating in the area include Tsuro DzeChimanimani, Save the Children, Kellogg Foundation, Christian Care and Medicins Sans Frontier (MSF). Some said they might be forced to pull out if problems continued.