ZIMBABWE is not ready for elections, Caritas Zambia executive director Sam Mulafulafu has said.
Commenting on the current situation in Zimbabwe, Mulafulafu yesterday admitted that elections could not be a solution to the Zimbabwean crisis.
“There are still deep-rooted problems that need to be resolved. Elections cannot resolve that. Unless those parameters are resolved, that's when good elections can be held because if you have reforms in the security structures and openness to international observance and oversight of the Zimbabwean elections, all those issues would help to mitigate the electoral environment,” Mulafulafu said.
“As of now Zimbabwe is not ready for elections as long as the security is still firmly under the control of ZANU-PF. And nothing has changed in their character since the government of national unity was constructed.”
He said the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Zimbabwe was quite problematic.
“What we all know is that there is no commitment on the part of ZANU-PF to keep the commitment that are contained in the agreement. All they are happy with is the lessening of international pressure on the government of Zimbabwe.
And I think that's what they wanted because now with the involvement of the MDC, there has been less pressure on Zimbabwe,” Mulafulafu said.
“Though some international… some governments in Europe like what I know of the United Kingdom (UK) they are not changing their status in terms of their perception of Zimbabwe with respect to sanctions. But the issue is that Zimbabwe is no longer as much under pressure as it was before the government of national unity and that's what ZANU-PF wanted.
“But at the same time they are not making any move on the commitments that were made and ZANU-PF is still arrogant as it was. And it is departing a lot from the agreement that was made with the opposition parties.”
He accused the ruling party of even defying some of the commitments that were made.
“So it's quite a precarious situation and I don't know how long the opposition will remain in that alliance. I have been speaking to Zimbabweans in the recent past, it's quite a frustrating situation,” he said.
Mulafulafu called for serious preconditions if elections were to be held in Zimbabwe.
“First of all, there must be an allowance from the government of national unity including ZANU-PF, commitment that those elections would be held under a conducive environment,” said Mulafulafu. “Without any resumption of violence. Remember that even with the government of national unity ZANU-PF still has a stronghold on the security.”
Recently, President Robert Mugabe declared that he was ready to stand as president in next year's presidential election, which he said would be held whether or not the rival parties agreed on a new constitution.
During a meeting with editors of media houses operating in Zimbabwe, President Mugabe said elections could be held in 2011 when the transition inclusive government's lifespan expires, whether or not the new constitution was in place.
“I am a ZANU-PF son. If ZANU-PF says, 'go for it', I will,” said President Mugabe, who turned 86 two weeks ago and will have been in power for 30 years on April 18.
At the next elections, he will be 87 and if he wins the polls, he will rule Zimbabwe for another five years until he is 92 years old.
But MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai who is also the country's Prime Minister has called for an African peacekeeping force for Zimbabwe to ensure the planned elections to choose a new government to prevent the violence, which occurred at the last elections.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai recently told his supporters to prepare for the polls.
The inclusive government between ZANU-PF and MDC was constituted last year to ward off ensuing tensions and violence that followed a disputed election in early 2008.
It has a lifespan of 24 to 36 months, during which the parties must draw a new constitution that would potentially usher in free and fair elections.
Already, the constitution-making process is lagging behind the time-line accorded to it in the Global Political Agreement (GPA) that established the inclusive government.
A stakeholders' conference was held at which various thematic committees that would go around the country to collate the public's views on what the new constitution should contain were formed. The next process has stalled due to funding constraints but if consultations are successfully held, a document would be written and presented to the electorate in a referendum.
According to the GPA, elections are supposed to be held under a new constitution within 18 months of the formation of the inclusive government.
* The Post
