adminAbaba on Sunday puts paid to the arguments and counter arguments on when Zimbabwe should hold elections.
The message from Sadc is loud and clear: Zimbabwe can hold harmonised elections any time they deem fit and appropriate.
Sadc’s position was explicit enough for all stakeholders to understand, and not continue to stall the process by seeking further extensions through flimsy excuses and demands.
If all parties in the Inclusive Government believe that Sadc and the African Union are the “guarantors and curators” of the Global Political Agreement, then it is time for them to not only respect their decision, but to also walk the Sadc talk.
And, the Sadc talk is elections as soon as is conceivable. Sadc executive secretary, Tomaz Salamao said: ‘‘The summit took note that the constitution making process has been endorsed by parliament . . . it is time to put our minds as a region and support Zimbabwe to hold elections.
Our position as Sadc is that the Constitution was concluded and the next step is the election, whether it’s held within one month, two months, three months or the next six months, it is up to those with the powers to decide. We are waiting to hear the ruling of the Supreme Court, and as Sadc we will be there to support . . . We are basically waiting for the announcement of the day of the election so that we move this process forward.”
Obviously, people will interpret this invariably, but we note that there are a number of critical points in the communiqué.
Firstly, Sadc just like other international bodies feels that the most important process to lead to a free, fair and credible election was a home grown constitution, which was concluded in a successful and credible manner. The regional body was among the first to congratulate Zimbabweans for holding a successful referendum for the draft Constitution. The process also passed through
Parliament without delay, until President Mugabe signed it into law last week.
This was a landmark achievement, and Sadc and the AU took note of that.
With the country’s supreme law now in place, it means that everything else that is outstanding should be dealt with after the people have gone to the polls.
This means that the MDC-T’s calls for media and security sector reforms among a host of purported outstanding issues before the holding of elections cannot override the people’s right to have a government of their choice.
Conceding to this demand implies that the forthcoming election will produce another Government of National Unity, and not a winner takes it all, because the former means that whichever party has the majority to form the next Government can spearhead the reforms it deems fit.
But for now, Sadc is saying that the most important reform — the Constitution is now in place, and Zimbabweans should move towards electing a new government.
Holding the extraordinary Summit on the sidelines of the AU Summit means that the regional leaders realised the importance of resolving the election date issue.
For, it is an open secret that some of the arguments on June 29, have confused the electorate, instead of educating them.
The other important outcome of that Summit, as we report elsewhere in this issue, is the decision to convene a special summit on mobilising resources for the elections.
It was also not for Sadc to tell the Government of Zimbabwe when they should hold elections, but when Dr Salamao says Sadc is “basically waiting for the announcement of the day of the election so that we move this process forward,” it means that Sadc has studied the situation and have seen that there is nothing that can stop President Mugabe from announcing the election date “within one month, two months, three months or the next six months”.
This does not imply that Sadc has not studied the Zimbabwean law and its requirements on elections, it means that the ball is now in Zimbabwe’s court.
If they want to fast track the process, it is up to them. If they want to delay it, it is still up to them, but as the guarantors of the process, the regional bloc would want to see it move forward, and not stalled by delaying tactics. This is the blessing that Zimbabweans have been waiting for. In the past, some people put words in Sadc’s mouth.
But now that they have spoken, let us seize the moment and move expeditiously. Sadc knows fully well the challenges that Zimbabwe faces, especially financial and material resources to hold the election.
If they have assisted this far, they will still assist, because a stalled Zimbabwe means a stalled Sadc.
A delayed process also turns Zimbabweans into the region and continent’s cry babies.
The 2013 poll is not the first election that Zimbabwe is holding after some daunting challenges. In 1980, a successful multi-party election was held against a backdrop of the end of the war of liberation.
If political leaders have the people’s will at heart, they should not only respect the decision made by Sadc on Sunday, but they should ensure that it is implemented without further delay.
Online Reporter