Mugabe’s 2012 election plot in disarray
4 June 2012
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HARARE (ZimEye) PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s call for elections this year has been thrown into disarray after a recent Extraordinary Session of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) insisted that a new constitution be adopted before elections.
Mugabe, 88, has been threatening to call for elections in line with Zanu PF’s resolution at last year’s annual conference for polls this year.
But constitutional experts warned that a constitution would only be ready at the end of 2012, paving way for fresh elections early 2013. MDC-T, MDC and the civic society have been pushing for elections to be held next year after the full implementation of critical democratic and electoral reforms.
Fears were swelling that Mugabe was likely to unilaterally declare elections this year in effort in manage the succession battles in Zanu PF.
But a Sadc summit on June 1, poured cold water on Mugabe’s 2012 election ambition while his health is still permitting.
According to a Sadc communiqué released after the Luanda, Angola summit, the Heads of State and Government resolved that the Global Political Agreement (GPA) which was signed by Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara be fully implemented. There are several outstanding issues in the GPA, chief among them security sector reforms and the writing of a new governance charter.
The Sadc summit also resolved that the constitution making process be finalized before Mugabe proclaims election dates.

Mugabe's 2012 election plot in disarray, as SADC rules

The communiqué stated that: “On Zimbabwe, Summit commended stakeholders for their commitment, cooperation and efforts towards the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and urged the parties to the GPA to finalise the constitution-making process and subject it to a referendum thereafter.
“Summit also urged the parties to the GPA, assisted by His Excellency Jacob G Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa and SADC Facilitator of the Zimbabwe Political Dialogue, to develop an implementation mechanism and to set out time frames for the full implementation of the Roadmap to Elections.
“Summit further commended the Facilitator for his efforts towards the realisation of full implementation of GPA.”
However Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo played down the tough stance Sadc took against Mugabe, saying his boss would be ready for elections either this year or in 2013.
Mugabe, last week, dispatched emissaries to Sadc countries to lobby the regional block to back his plan to call for an early plebiscite regardless of numerous calls for the full implementation of critical reforms.
(Zimbabwe, ZimEye)

18 Replies to “Mugabe’s 2012 election plot in disarray”

  1. me… unenge urikuti taurei chokwadi.ZANU wll say NO to stupid reforms MDC says NO to elections and the nation will not bnft anything .The possible end result is President vachafira mu inclusv gvt .Chokwadi vanhu vachamhanya .THAT WLL MARK THE END OF TALKS, NW FORCE WLL BE USED I DNT KNW AGAINST WHO BUT…………..???????????

  2. Editor, you can really excite the people of Zimbabwe by your headline. Mugabe, the old fox, will remain unfazed and knows how to get over this one. Watch this space, hamuzive Mdhara imi. This SADC business will not change anything in Zimbabwe – it’s just the barking of dogs outside the durawall. Only Mavambo Kusile Dawn can shape the politics of Zim. Remember how we took away 8% of the vote and nobody knew from who we took it? Remember how we stopped either from the ascendancy? That’s the game we are good at! Give us elections and MKD will be the ruling party…

  3. But guys we have seen how the GNU works. Certainly we need reforms before elections and SADC could do better by clearly stating them down whether one party Zanupf accepts them or not. I wonder what will make these parties agree to work for national progres. You know too that some of these people represent nobody and it is true that they are benefiting a lot as individuals from the current set up. If SADC says a constitution before elections whether Magaisa talks wonders or not the 3 parties in the GNU will have to change drastically instead of just continuously bickering and doing everything to out do each other. If everybody accepted the democratic views of the people collected during the outreach, we would be talking of a referendum now. But no. They are still negotiating even about clearly expressed views, to them, those views are not in line with a party position so no. What does SADC say? “You are making progres. Carry on.”

  4. Yes Grehora I agree with you, people must and must read what magaisa writes and that way they will argue from a position of one who knows not just big and loud mouth. Magaisa is lying facts bare for you and me to understand where the problem is and in my opinion the learned gentleman is no activist but a legal torch bearer for us Zimbos. Lets use him.

  5. Meva & me… another smokescreen being peddled by Zanu PF is that the constitution process is dragging, that there is no progress there. Do you know that a draft already exists? But, and a big BUT, is that Zanu PF simply does not like all the changes that have been introduced by the PEOPLE. Please read Magaisa’s analysis on this website. They want elections under the OLD constitution, which is guaranteed to win them elections by hook or by crook. That is why SADC has said NO to that!

  6. I think people just don’t want elections because Mugabe wants them, I feel he has a point when he says this constitution thing is dragging and for those of u who are stable and benefiting from this government of national unity well fine, I feel hapana chinoitika chinoshamisira even if elections are to be delayed ne 2 years. If this Mugabe is to die and leave things like this tichanhanya muno kudarika zvatinoti tinonetswa pama elections coz Madhara ekuZANU PF anenge asara haatorina basa nesu zvemhando yepamusoro chaiyo. I think people should protest kuti this constitution thing ikurumidze and have elections fast so that we have ka direction katinonzwisisa kwete zvekudhonzerana masimba zviri kuitika izvi. Mugabe is the reason why things are bad and the reason things are fine for us as well. Right now he can be old but he is the best thing for us. If u think I am wrong them tell me who u think can rule this country today coz Tsvangirai has showed us in many ways kuti he can’t

  7. mugabe u a old and abazali bethu bafa ngekukurahundi yakho and you dont even pay us for your evel deeds.isikhathi sakho siphelile njalo awungeke uthole ivote kithi aMaNdebele coz u have badly treatet us

  8. Did SADC say until a new constitution is in place? If they indeed did say so, then even next year there might be no elections as the three GNU parties hardly agree on anything. If they agree on a constitution, it will be one of the few agreements. SADC is not realistic. The only progress is that there have a few arrests of violent people. But the desperation among the people with some young people even attempting to seize private properties, cries of cessation from some Zimbabweans, general lack of confidence to stimulate investments and nationwide threats of violence even from the top soldiers if the vote “betrays” their struggle cannot be overlooked. The 3 parties seem to have vowed never to cooperate except when individuals benefit financially or otherwise because of their current positions.

  9. The cuming of an end to someone especialy if those wh protected you for years abandone you.

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