20101205
Zimbabwe Standard

RESIDENT Robert Mugabe's plan to have elections next year suffered a major setback after a report from the negotiators to South African President Jacob Zuma all but said it was impossible to hold the polls, as the electoral roadmap would not be ready.

Last week Zuma told his Zambian counterpart, Ruppiah Banda that he had received the report from Zimbabwe and it would be tabled at a special summit to be held in Lusaka early next year.

The negotiators, drawn from the three parties, stated that there were a number of outstanding issues that needed to be settled before the elections and this made it almost impossible for the polls to be held next year.

According to highly placed sources, the report has struck a fatal blow to Mugabe's electoral plan and it has set the stage for a confrontation between him and Zuma.

"The report makes it clear what is needed for a credible election and mentions the electoral roadmap and at this rate elections cannot be held next year," a source said.

The insider said the report had also detailed the outstanding issues to the Global Political Agreement that needed to be resolved before elections.

"The usual outstanding issues like electoral reforms, the constitution, among other things still stick out and have to be sorted out before any election," he said.

It was also revealed in the report that the parties had agreed on the implementation of some issues in the GPA but had failed to find common ground on the swearing in of Roy Bennet, the appointments of Gideon Gono, Johannes Tomana, the governors and ambassadors.

Despite disagreements over a number of issues, the source revealed that there was unanimity among the negotiators that polls should not be held next year.

"The three parties are frustrated with having to work with each other but they need to be patient in coming up with suitable conditions and finish the work they started if ever there is going to be a credible election," the source added.

MDC-M secretary general, Welshman Ncube, one of the negotiators, confirmed that there was a report written to Zuma but would not shed further details.

The other negotiators are Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga from MDC-M, Elton Mangoma and Tendai Biti from MDC-T, while Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche represent Zanu PF.

Zanu PF spokesman, Rugare Gumbo retreated, saying he was in a meeting when asked about the latest setback to the party's electoral call.

Nelson Chamisa, MDC-T spokesman, accused Zanu PF of putting the cart before the horse in its call for elections.

"Conditions for a free and fair election are the horse, whereas the elections are the cart, so we should have the conditions being put in place first," he said.

Chamisa said Zanu PF was obsessed with short-term solutions but warned that this would result in another disputed election.

It has also emerged that Mugabe has developed a "wait-and-see" attitude while hawks in his party champion the cause for an early election.

"There are people like Emmerson Mnangagwa and Jonathan Moyo who are campaigning for an election next year," another source said. "The message they will take to the party's conference is that elections should be held whether or not the roadmap or the constitution are in place."

Zanu PF will hold its annual conference this month in Mutare, where the party is expected to adopt a campaign strategy.

The source said in the absence of the roadmap, the army was likely to be deployed and people would be coerced into voting for Zanu PF.

He said Mnangagwa would be the beneficiary of such a scheme as he was the Defence Minister and he would score "Brownie points" against his rivals in the Zanu PF succession dogfight.