ZANU PF highest decision making body the soviet style, politburo resolved during its meeting late last month that a provision in the power-sharing deal shelving by-elections for a year had to be scrapped because it infringed on Zimbabweans’ right to elect leaders of their choice.
A clause under ‘ELECTORAL VACANCIES’ in the power sharing deal stipulates that:
Aware of the divisive and often times confrontational nature of elections and by elections;
 Noting the need to allow this agreement to take root amongst the parties and people of Zimbabwe; and
 Cognisant of the need to give our people some breathing space and a healing period;
 21.1 The Parties hereby agree that for a period of 12 months from the date of signing of this agreement, should any electoral vacancy arise in respect of a local authority or parliamentary seat, for whatever reason, only the party holding that seat prior to the vacancy occurring shall be entitled to nominate and field a candidate to fill the seat subject to that party complying with the rules governing its internal democracy.
However ZANU PF likely keen to reverse its losses in the March 29 election wants by-elections to be held whenever a parliamentary seat becames vacant.
The body immediately tasked the party’s commissariat department to prepare for a by-election in Chegutu senatorial constituency vacated by ZANU PF member Edna Madzongwe after her election as President of the Senate.
Mugabe’s party is also preparing for by-elections in Matobo South and Guruve North House of Assembly constituencies. Matobo fell vacant after MDC member Lovemore Moyo was elected Speaker of the House of Assembly while Guruve North became vacant following the death of ZANU PF’s Cletus Mabharanga.
Top ZANU PF official and one of the party’s lead negotiators in the power-sharing talks Nicholas Goche confirmed the resolutions by the party’s central committee, adding that the ruling party would engage the two MDC formations to amend the agreement clause barring by-elections.
“We will engage the two MDC formations to amend the agreement and allow by-elections,” Goche said on Monday.
He added: “It was felt that the clause infringed on the people’s right to elect leaders of their choice. If left like that there is a danger of a constitutional challenge in the courts. ZANU PF has started campaigning for the vacant seats because we have no doubt that the MDCs will agree with us on the clause.”
Goche went on to state that no one from the MDC would be appointed governor because the power-sharing agreement does not provide for that.
“Governors appointed by President Mugabe will not be removed to accommodate MDC (candidates). Only issues covered in the agreement will be dealt with,” he said.
But MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa differed with Goche saying the issue of governors was still outstanding and would be dealt with in the talks.
“Governors form part of the government and as MDC we should be represented at that level. Our position is that we should have our own people as governors,” Chamisa said. “ZANU PF’s position is wrong and we will use the mediation process to seek what we deserve as reflected by the vote of the people.”
Tendai Biti, the Secretary General of the mainstream MDC, told SW Africa radio that there is a complete failure to agree. He said that ZANU PF and MDC negotiators met again on Tuesday, but with no result.
Biti said, “The facilitators must be brought in and the facilitator must use his wisdom to try and break a situation which, in my view is not characterised by good faith and a situation that might embarrass Africa which celebrated on the 15th of September and might find itself in a situation where those celebrations were premature.”
The MDC’s chief negotiator said Zimbabwe is now in a tragic situation where 80% of the population are starving and surviving on berries, in a country with an inflation rate never before seen in any other part of the world. “So it’s a disaster, an absolutely disaster,” Biti lashed out.
ZANU PF says that there are only two contentious cabinet posts, but the MDC Secretary General insists there is no agreement on anything. “All the portfolios are at stake. So basically you have to start from afresh. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. You may have two pieces that you may not have sorted out but these two pieces affect the entire jigsaw,” Biti added.
When asked why the MDC signed a deal before the negotiations had been concluded, Biti responded by saying: “Judging from where we were coming from the issue of allocation of cabinets should have been a foregone conclusion.
Surely ZANU PF would have understood that they cannot, under whatever matrix, demand the finance ministries because they failed. The reason why we are where we are is because they failed. So they would have recognised that the MDC has to be given this task. Equally the MDC would have deferred to ZANU PF on the question of security ministries because they are still controlling. That is elementary.”
Zimbabwe Metro