Finally, a Deal in Zimbabwe
Months after the highly disputed presidential elections in Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe (Zanu-PF party) and Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC party) reached a power-sharing agreement on September 11th. Tsvangirai will become prime minister and the MDC party will likely have more senior ministers in the new government than Zanu-PF. However, Mugabe will continue to serve as head of the cabinet and will retain some of his executive power, causing skepticism among many.
According to reports, the general feeling in Zimbabwe is one of hope. Although Tsvangirai conceded some power, the necessity of reaching an agreement to end the political crisis is for many a much more important step. "I am excited, and I have seen hundreds of other people openly show their own excitement too, since news of the deal started filtering in," said a university lecturer in Harare. There is a sense that Tsvangirai’s presence in the government will create some checks and balances, even if Mugabe still has a voice.
Conversely, many Western donors and investors remain deeply concerned about Mugabe’s position in the new government. As a European envoy told IRIN News, "As long as Mugabe is in the equation, especially as head of state, then our position on not providing aid to Zimbabwe will not change.” Perhaps as a statement of reassurance, the mediator of the talks, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, said “the rest of the world needs to respect” the decisions made in Zimbabwe.The two parties will discuss the details of a new government over the weekend and a formal signing ceremony is to be held in Harare on Monday. Although there are significant difficulties in creating power-sharing governments, AFJN supports a deal that is backed by the people of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is not Kenya, and Africa cannot continue to allow power-sharing agreements any time an election is flawed, but it may very well be the best way out of the frozen election process. AFJN will continue to follow Zimbabwe’s governmental evolution, in hopes that the country will begin its transition out of economic and political crisis.
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