Zimbabweans call for unity government term extension

Zimbabwe’s transitional unity government, according to the power-sharing deal, must hand over power to a new government in the next 18 to 24 months. Fresh elections held under a new constitution currently being drafted should decide its makeup.

“Twenty nine per cent of the population favours a longer term for the inclusive government because they needed to rest from previous trauma from violent electoral processes,” Anyway Nyapwadza, the principal researcher of MSPI said during her presentation of the research report.

But 23 per cent of the 12 million-strong population have demanded that the unity government cease exercising power in two years’ time during elections when a new constitution is in place, according to the survey.

The research report by MSPI is titled: The Zimbabwe Economy and People’s Survival Strategies.

MSPI is a local research body established in 1999 and has conducted many researches on topical issues mainly those linked to politics.

Last year, Zimbabweans witnessed wide-scale election violence blamed on president Robert Mugabe’s loyalists who chased away thousands of opposition supporters from their homes and reportedly killed over 100 others.

Mr Mugabe was forced to the negotiating table after the violent presidential run-off poll which he won in a one-man ballot. Opposition leader and now premier, Morgan Tsvangirai, had pulled out in protest over the ongoing violence.

The protracted power sharing talks over the political crisis gave birth to a unity government between long time ruler Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai in February.

The research report by the MSPI says, however, the unity government had brought hopes to sections of the population that Zimbabwe could once again regain its status as a model African economy with a vibrant health and education sector among others.

“The survey revealed that there is optimism which people have about the inclusive government, Ms Nyapwadza added

“The survey showed that Zimbabweans felt that they were better off than they were a year ago.”

Around $10 billion is still required by the unity government to reverse a ten-year economic decline seen in the near collapse of almost all sectors and shortages of almost all commodities when the crisis reached alarming proportions last year.

A tour of Europe and the US by Mr Tsvangirai to raise funds for the government last week yielded only a tenth of the amount. Promises of more aid are dependent on drastic political and economic reforms.