Originally published on the CGS blog on September 12, 2008.
Monday, September 8 2008, saw the resumption of power sharing talks between political rivals Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai in Zimbabwe. Following the failure of a clear victory for either candidate in the March 2008 elections, talks have since been launched in the capital to reach a negotiated settlement over power distribution.
When elections were first held on March 29 this year, it was the Movement for Democratic Change’s party leader Morgan Tsvangirai who claimed victory. He had successfully won the first round of elections, but not with a wide enough margin to secure immediate control. The second round of elections was slated to take place on June 22, but Tsvangirai pulled out just days before, handing victory to Robert Mugabe. The insecurity in the political arena has mirrored itself in society, with violence breaking out between Zimbabwe African National Union – Political Front (ZANU-PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters. In the six months following the initial elections, over 200 Zimbabweans have been killed in clashes with government forces. International criticism, stemming largely from countries like the United Kingdom, France and the United States, has also drawn attention to the desperation that plagues the country.
In June this year former South African President Nelson Mandela broke his silence on the issue by criticizing Zimbabwe’s “tragic failure of leadership.” Mandela’s statement came just hours before Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II revoked Mugabe’s Knighthood. Despite the mounting international pressure, however, Mugabe appears almost unphased as he proceeds for discussions with Tsvangirai.
While there is a mutual consensus that Robert Mugabe will remain President, the main issue of contention arises around the strength of the role of Prime Minister, to be assumed by Morgan Tsvangirai. While Mugabe’s ZANU-PF are strongly urging for a largely ceremonial role, Tsvangirai has stated that he will settle for nothing less than the transfer of authority from the Presidential to the Prime Ministerial role. Tsvangirai is also pushing for his party to acquire control over the Ministry of Home Affairs, which will guarantee him greater control over domestic policing matters. This time the talks are being mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki. Mugabe has been quoted as saying that if the talks do eventually fail or are not concluded by the end of this week, he will go ahead and form his own cabinet. Tsvangirai, on the other hand, has declared his determination to let no such thing happen, but rather take the people to the polls once again. Either way, neither candidate is backing down until an agreement suitable to their own agendas is achieved.
