Indications reveal that Zimbabwe is heading for a unity government. After a long wait in obtaining the final victors in the polls, it seems, some mediators in Zimbabwe are negotiating for a unity government by the national parties, both ruling and opposition. The continued bitter war for power by major parties in this African state has forced a few statesmen to push for a Unity Government and help usher in a sort of peaceful atmosphere in the country.
According to a formula being so worked out, "whoever wins" Zimbabwe's presidential election in the recount will have to form a government of national unity, the country's UN ambassador Boniface Chidyausiku has said. "There is no way anybody can do without the other", he said arguing that neither side could really control parliament. He is the second government source to make this suggestion in a week. The final parliamentary results are due to be released shortly, after which presidential results will be verified.
Over the weekend, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission released the results of recounts in 18 seats, which confirmed that Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since independence in 1980. The original results showed that the combined opposition had 109 seats, against 97 for Zanu-PF.
The national elections were held on 29 March - a month ago. The final results of parliamentary and presidential polls have still not been published - more than four weeks after the elections. Last week, the Herald, seen as a government mouthpiece, ran an opinion piece calling for a government of national unity. It would be possible for the rival political leaders to work together and pointed to the example of Kenya, where a power-sharing government was set up after violence in which 1,500 people were killed.
The recount unfavorable to Mugabe notwithstanding, even after a month the results are not made out in Zimbabwe. "It's definitely a world record and it's not something to be proud of," said Zimbabwean independent MP and former Mugabe ally Jonathan Moyo. "And, when it comes, its credibility will be irretrievably compromised," he said. But the ruling party dismissed as "totally false" the argument that the delay was to give Zanu-PF time to rig the outcome. He pointed out that similar claims were made when the electoral commission said it was recounting 23 parliamentary results. In the re-count, the MDC had predicted that the recount of 23 parliamentary results would be fixed in order to let Zanu-PF retain its majority.
The MDC says 15 of its supporters have been killed since the elections. More than 200 of its activists were arrested during a police raid on its Harare headquarters last Friday.
Dr Abdul Ruff Colachal
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