Originally published on the CGS blog on September 22, 2008.
Following the negotiations that took place the week of September 8, 2008, the political leaders in Zimbabwe have finally reached a deal to share power. Coming out of negotiations Friday, September 12, Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai were smiling as they told reporters of the deal that had been brokered. Although details were only released the following Monday, both leaders expressed their satisfaction with the talks.
On Monday, September 15, the three leaders of the main political parties hosted a news conference during which copies of the deal were released to the public. Mugabe (ZANU-PF) will remain President of the country, while Tsvangirai (MDC) will assume the role of Prime Minister, and Arthur Mutambara of the Movement for Democratic Change breakaway faction MDC-M, will be the deputy Prime Minister. The cabinet will consist of 31 ministers, 15 from Mugabe’s ZANU-PF, 13 representing Tsvangirai’s MDC and 3 allotted to Mutambara’s MDC-M. The deal brokered is such that in the event of a vacancy in the cabinet, the position must be filled by a representative of the same party, in order to ensure that the coalition structure remains intact until the next general elections are held.
Although all signatories of the agreement have expressed their approval of the outcome, international states are hesitant to lend their support. The US and UK are still to approve of the deal, and are reportedly awaiting some regional stability before their formal approval is lent. This will be the first time since 1986 that another political leader has been able to successfully negotiate a deal with Mugabe. Back then it was Joshua Nkomo, Mugabe’s rival from Matabeleland in the south, who represented the incumbent’s biggest political hurdle. That time, however, Nkomo failed to secure a fair deal and his ZUMA party ended up being consumed entirely by ZANU, to become ZANU-PF, Political Front. If Nkomo’s example stands as testimony to the success of negotiations with Mugabe, then the Zimbabwean people have a lot to worry about. After all these years of struggle and violence, it remains to be seen whether Tsvangirai and Mutambara will get the opportunity to freely express their concerns in government.
But now is not a time to be skeptical of the future. Despite the many problems that arose since the initial elections in March this year, it remains a positive omen to see that a deal has been brokered, and that members of all participating parties are committed to making it work. With an express commitment to abide by the declarations of the UN and to seek the aid of the African Union and other African bodies whenever necessary, these Zimbabwean leaders have provided a measure of hope to a very difficult situation.
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