What can the best result or outcome of the negotiations be? Will they come to fruition and what are the expectations of the international community? What can Zimbabweans expect from the international community?
A positive outcome would entail any of the following: a government of national unity (GNU) or a transitional authority paving the way for elections. What is at stake is the composition of the two, particularly the GNU. What powers will be accorded to whom in a power sharing agreement? More importantly, what roles will Mugabe and Tsvangirai play? Will they share executive powers or will Mugabe agree to a titular Presidency while Tsvangirai runs the show or will we see a typical French dual executive?
In the Kenyan scenario, the President has been reduced almost to a titular role but not fully ceremonial. The experience so far is not showing as to the type of relationship and the efficiency of such a system – besides the political settlement that resulted. If one is fully ceremonial, there is smooth and clear separation of powers and less friction. Is that situation feasible in our Zimbabwe? Will Mugabe agree to such? More important is whether the titular, ceremonial or executive head of state will be the head of the military.
The powers of parliament need to be reinvigorated to ensure more transparency and less friction between the President and the Prime Minister. Therefore, a clear separation of powers needs to be worked out. Parliament should be given more powers with respect to accountability of state machinery, the Prime Minister and the judiciary. Surely, what is clear is that there will be difficult cohabitation – but it has to be achieved for the good of the country.
The economy needs urgent attention. The political players in the country have been advocating divergent modes to economic prosperity, how will they integrate their different blue prints in such a way that the country benefits in the short and long term? Such integration has to be attractive to investors, donor countries and international monetary institutions. Moreover it has to be attractive and resolve the immediate needs of the ordinary Zimbabweans, inflation, basic goods, cash shortage and revaluation, salary adjustments and employment creation.
Finally and more importantly, will Zimbabwe be united once again? It is common that there is deep polarity in the country. How will society be rehabilitated and confidence re-instilled? Will the people get a chance to author and contribute to a new constitution or will the new widely representative parliament deal with that. One can argue that the general populace is not ready to contribute to a new constitution as it will be filled with emotion, hate and polarity. People would much rather concentrate on rebuilding while Parliament deals with the constitution.
I posit a situation whereby the winning party and the ruling party agree on a transitional authority to reign for 24months, with a mandate to facilitate smooth transition whereby the re-habilitation, reconstruction, re-engagement and revamping of the Zimbabwean society, morale, culture, legacy and future will take centre stage and priority, giving birth to a new people driven and backed authority; accountable, responsible and sovereign! Such a transitional authority should be shared equally by all Zimbabweans, but of course with leading roles from the MDC and Zanu (PF).
Deliberately, the option of failure of the talks is unexpected and certainly unwarranted. I think the hopes of every Zimbabwean, including their leaders at the negotiating table, are hitched on the success of these talks and nothing else – failure is not an option.
Post published in: News