It was all warm and cosy on Zimbabwe’s usually frosty political front recently, as Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) agreed on a set of changes to the country’s electoral laws.
New constitutional amendments that the opposition previously said were meant to entrench President Robert Mugabe’s rule were read in Parliament on Tuesday, with no opposition from the MDC, and the Bill was expected to be passed on Thursday.
The opposition has — for now — dropped demands for a new Constitution, settling instead for a compromise deal allowing reforms to existing electoral laws that historically have given Zanu-PF the advantage.
But there are questions about whether the modest concessions can keep relations between the main opponents on an even keel in the face of the 2008 elections that both Âparties are desperate to win.
Even senior officials of Mugabe’s party concede that the deal leaves Mugabe’s power intact and that it gives his rule some of the credibility it has lacked in the region and internationally.
A series of disputed elections has left Mugabe desperate for legitimacy and he will use the new deal as evidence that he is not the dictator his critics claim.
“Now that there is this working relationship between the two parties, it is interesting to see how this whole argument justifying sanctions will go,” said George Charamba, Mugabe’s spokesperson.
In fact, Mugabe hopes to use the next round of negotiations to press his demands that the opposition ask Europe and the United States to drop personal sanctions against him and dozens of his senior officials. In return, Mugabe is ready to talk about some of his tough security and media laws.
Welshman Ncube, secretary general of a faction of the MDC and a key player in the talks, confirmed that sanctions and repressive laws remain on the agenda.
This week, the International Crisis Group called on the West to drop sanctions against Mugabe as a way out of the country’s economic and political crisis.
But even as both sides set aside their differences this week to praise the agreement, a full deal that guarantees free and fair elections still appears no closer.
“There are 1 000 miles to walk and this is the first step in the first mile,” Jonathan Moyo, former information minister and now independent MP, said after the landmark parliamentary session on Tuesday.
Apart from a repeal of repressive laws, the MDC is demanding an entirely new constitution, a full Bill of Rights and an independent electoral commission reporting to Parliament.
The run-up to the tabling of the amendments saw both factions of the divided MDC holding a rare, combined caucus, renewing hopes that they might forge at least a coalition in which to contest next year’s elections.
But the agreement with Zanu-PF has brought new problems for the opposition. Its allies in civil society see the deal as an appeasement. Leaders of both MDC factions have been desperate to rally sceptical supporters around the need for compromise.
“For those of our compatriots who love our beautiful country, some might be alarmed by this decision,” Ncube said.
“Zimbabweans are faced with a national crisis. We might differ, but we agree there is a crisis. Somewhere along the way we lost each other. We need to find each other. This is our attempt to say ‘let’s reach out to each other’.”
Thokozani Khupe, Morgan Tsvangirai’s deputy, said: “The dialogue that has taken place — and is still taking place — has gone a long way in deconstructing the matrix of intolerance in our society and hopefully this process is irreversible.”
Among the most important concessions won by the opposition is an agreement that Mugabe will no longer make appointments to the Lower House of Parliament, a right that historically gave his party a head start at the polls.
Mugabe also will no longer appoint the body that draws the boundaries of the electoral constituencies.
However, despite giving away his right to appoint supporters to the key lower house, Mugabe still gets what he wants from the amendment Bill — he will retain the right to determine when he can leave office and have influence over the choice of his successor.