In addition to the violence I have been discussing in all my other blog posts, Tsvangirai is facing many other obstacles while trying to campaign. Just last week he was detained twice just for trying to have a “Movement for Democratic Change” rally. He is unable to campaign in peace at all, and because of this, South Africa had to step in and try to offer an alternative solution.
South Africa is making an attempt to mediate between Mugabe’s Zanu PF party and the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change, led by Tsvangirai). They have offered suggestions such as shelving the run-off to allow for negotiations, and proposals have included making Mugabe president and Tsvangirai prime minister in a transitional government. However, Tsvangirai refuses to even ADDRESS this compromise as a solution .
In a hope’s to accomplish some kind of peace, representatives of Mugabe and Tsvangirai had recently gathered in Pretoria as part of a last ditch effort to draw the country back from the abyss. According to the South African newspaper, South African Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi held a meeting between representatives of the MDC and Mugabe’s Zanu PF party at the end of May and has planned another one for this week.
The idea of a unity government received strong backing on Tuesday from Zimbabwe’s ex-finance minister Simba Makoni, who finished third in the election’s first round after Tsvangirai. Makoni said the run-off should be cancelled and talks should be held to form a transitional government that would be in place for five years to give it time to carry out reforms. He said political violence had made it impossible to hold a fair run-off and pointed out that Zimbabwe, which is facing major food shortages and the world’s highest inflation rate (as discussed in first weeks blog), and could not afford to organise another vote.
It is unfortunate, but it seems that in Zimbabwe’s current situation, there is little hope for free and fair election… hopefully with the help of South Africa and the UN something can be organized to help Zimbabwe.
