Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF on Tuesday called for the support of its opposition rival, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), to amend the Constitution to allow electoral reforms before next year’s parliamentary poll.
”We only need four votes from the opposition to form a [two-thirds] majority and then make constitutional amendments to enable us to implement the electoral reforms. We hope the MDC will join us in effecting the reforms,” said Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity Nathan Shamuyarira at a conference on democratising Southern Africa’s electoral laws, held in the resort town of Victoria Falls .
Among the key revisions proposed by the Zimababwean government are the appointment of an independent electoral commission that would combine the functions of four controversial electoral bodies.
Under the plan, which would require a constitutional amendment, President Robert Mugabe would appoint the chairperson of the commission, while its five commissioners would be appointed by Parliament.
According to Shamuyarira other intended reforms before the March 2005 poll include: reducing the voting period to one day, the use of visible indelible ink, the counting of ballots at polling stations and the provision of more polling stations.
The revisions would have to comply with standards set by the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum and could help to deflect some of the criticism levelled against the management of previous elections in Zimbabwe.
But MDC secretary general Welshman Ncube suggested that far more needed to be done before Zimbabwe’s electoral process could be considered free and fair.
Changes would include the restoration of the rule of law, suspension of political violence and the repeal of sections of the controversial Public Order and Security Act (Posa) and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which limit freedoms of association and expression.
”Having all those reforms would be very good, but as long as the environment in which elections are held is not conducive to free-and-fair elections then there would be no point in having the reforms,” Ncube said, noting that MDC campaign rallies were cancelled by the police, while ruling party gatherings went on unimpeded.
He also complained that the ruling party had failed to consult on the proposed amendments. ”Strangely, they now want us to go and endorse reforms that they refused to discuss with us.” Ncube said a decision to cooperate could only be made by the MDC’s national executive.
Shamuyarira responded that talks were needed between the two parties to find common ground.
Constitutional law expert and chairperson of the pro-democracy National Constitutional Assembly, Lovemore Madhuku, said collaboration between Zanu-PF and the MDC on electoral reform could expand into wider dialogue.
”This could actually open opportunities for dialogue, which everybody has been crying for. The ball is in the MDC’s court. Without the opposition the ruling party cannot amend the Constitution, so it would be the only chance for the opposition to attach conditions before supporting the amendments,” he said.
Political analyst Reginald Matchaba-Hove said the request by the ruling party was an indication that the two parties needed each other. ”Whatever room there is should be exploited to introduce dialogue between the two major political parties. If there are areas on which they agree … then that would be a good starting place,” he said.
However, Brian Kagoro, chairperson of the NGO umbrella group Crisis Zimbabwe Coalition, said he was concerned that talk of reform was ”dangerously deceptive”.
”The reforms do not sound genuine because there are no attempts to normalise electoral issues, such as the use of Posa in restricting the opposition from holding rallies.” — Irin News