Outstanding issues take backstage as Zimbabwe focuses on constitution, elections

South African President Jacob Zuma may have used the benefit of foresight when he said early this year that the parties in Zimbabwe's inclusive government should prepare for the holding of fresh elections in 2011.

Zuma made the suggestion as President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party and the two MDC factions led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara carried on with seemingly endless talks over outstanding issues in their power-sharing Global Political Agreement (GPA).

That suggestion is becoming real everyday, as the parties now recognize that it will be difficult to sustain the inclusive government beyond its two-year life-span, given their political differences.

The South African leader was appointed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to facilitate the smooth implementation of the GPA but has had an uphill task convincing the principals to stick to the letter and spirit of the agreement.

Time appears to be running out for the parties to iron out their differences, as they focus on the on-going constitution making process and likely elections in 2011.

Although Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party has been the most vociferous against the holding of fresh elections outside a new constitution, it has now declared its readiness to participate in what it called credible polls.

And given that President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF has remained adamant that it has fulfilled its part of the bargain with regards to the GPA, talks on the outstanding issues will most likely going to drag on until fresh polls are held.

The GPA is now almost two years old since its signing on Sept. 15, 2008, but the parties are not fully agreed on both interpretation and implementation, to the extent that they have declared a deadlock.

Mugabe further stoked the fire this week when he reassigned ambassadors and recalled two others at a time the MDC wants more of its members to be considered for diplomatic posting.

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara's breakaway and smaller MDC faction has not publicly raised the issue, with observers saying that it would be futile for it because it plays the most junior role in the inclusive government, despite wielding a swaying vote in Parliament in the event of a stalemate between the major parties.

Early this year, Mugabe partially fulfilled the GPA when he dispatched five ambassadors – four from Tsvangirai's party and one from Mutambara's – to stations in Germany, Sudan, Australia, Nigeria and Senegal.

However, the MDC wants more and despite indications by Mugabe ahead of a SADC troika meeting in Mozambique last November that the issue of provincial governors was close to being resolved, none from the two MDC factions has been appointed.

With the perceived election year now only five months away, it is not likely that Mugabe will finally give in to Tsvangirai and Mutambara's demands for a quota in the governorships.

In March this year, Zuma said the parties had agreed to a package of measures to be implemented concurrently in line with the decision of the summit of the SADC troika on politics, defense and security last November.

The troika summit was convened after Tsvangirai had announced his party's partial disengagement from the inclusive government alleging lack on sincerity by Mugabe and his party.

However, since that statement, there has been no tangible movement towards implementing the outstanding issues.

Zuma had also promised to submit a report to troika chairperson and Mozambican President Armando Guebuza and suggest the way forward, but the last scheduled follow-up meeting between his facilitators and the party negotiators was shelved.

One observer said if elections will indeed be held in 2011, it means that SADC no longer has enough space and time to unlock the stalemate, especially when the parties are actively focused on the new constitution.

Another observer in the intelligence service said he doubted elections would be held in 2011, saying they were likely to be held in 2013 instead.

Mugabe has indicated that he will stand in the next elections if elected by his party. Tsvangirai is also likely going to stand, despite efforts in his party to install a new leader in line with its constitution limiting the president's term of office.

Source: Xinhua