Zimbabwe Coalition on the Brink of Collapse
By Eric Sande
HARARE---Zimbabwe’s 20-month coalition government faces an imminent collapse as President Mugabe pushes for snap elections by mid 2011. Mugabe’s sentiments followed an instruction to Finance Minister Tendai Biti to set aside US $200 million in next year’s budget for the polls.
The coalition government was formed after President Mugabe signed an accord with his long time rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change. Mr. Tsvangirai became Prime Minister in the inclusive government.
The never ending wrangles spiced with bitter exchange have left the two partners talking two different languages. The latest being the controversial appointment of senior civil servant made by Mugabe making Tsvangirai send a strong statement last week saying that Mr. Mugabe had violated the constitution by unilaterally appointing top public servants.
Taking it even further, about two weeks ago Tsvangirai called on the leaders of South Africa, Italy, Sweden, the European Union and United Nations asking them not to recognise six Zimbabwean ambassadors whom he said were unilaterally appointed by Mugabe.
Mugabe on his side believes that he had followed the law that empowered him to make the appointments without approval from the former opposition leaders, whom he purports were taking advice from Western countries.
The country’s political agreement is guaranteed by regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and South Africa. An envoy for South Africa's president, who is the chief regional mediator, denied that the fresh standoff had paralyzed Zimbabwe's government.
Tsvangirai, has also talked up the possibility of elections next year, even as analysts and the business community warn that hasty polls could see a repeat of the political violence and further economic ruin that characterized all elections since 2000.
Zimbabwe’s electoral commission says it is waiting for the nod from President Robert Mugabe to organize parliamentary and presidential elections in 2011.
“Our mandate is to implement presidential proclamations as and when they are made. If a proclamation is made, we implement it” acting Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson Joyce Kazembe said on October 20.
What comes to mind when we hear of this hasty election coming. It’s sends clear signals that Mugabe and ZANU PF will try to take advantage on the constant disputes with the MDC to force an early election where they will let loose their forces of darkness on the hapless electorate.
This latest development has leveraged the embattled country into growing fears that Zimbabwe is headed for another bloodbath as Mugabe pushes for elections next year – with or without a new and democratic Constitution seen as critical to ensuring that any new polls are bloodless.
The making of a constitution has hit enough hurdles as concerns are being raised over the inefficiency of finances to facilitate the outreach programme headed by a parliamentary committee.
President Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since the country won independence from Britain in 1980.He has always been blaming the crisis on targeted Western economic sanctions against him and his party elite, and says the coalition can make no further progress until they are lifted.
“To give it another life of six months or one year is a no, no, no,” Mugabe said, referring to the coalition government he formed with Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara in February 2009.