6 out of 10 provinces agree to extend Mugabe’s term

By Tererai Karimakiwenda
12 December 2006

The ZANU-PF conference opens on Wednesday in Goromonzi district east of Harare. And although there is much speculation about the main issues that the ruling party delegates will deal with, it is largely believed that Robert Mugabe will use this platform to extend his term of tenure by another 2 years. He would have to postpone the presidential election due in 2008 to 2010, combining it with general parliamentary elections due at the time.

ZANU-PF would have to vote and approve the measure at the conference this week, and parliament would need to amend the constitution early 2007 in order to allow it. Experts and observers say ZANU-PF has the political will to extend Mugabe’s term, and the numbers in parliament to make it happen.

There are already signs that Mugabe will indeed use the conference to launch his campaign to stay in power even longer. Last weekend ZANU-PF provincial leaders in Matabeleland South and North provinces are reported to have voted to extend his term. This made for a majority of 6 out of a total 10 provinces. The reasoning reported by most media outlets on the ground is that combining the presidential and parliamentary elections would save money.

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition released a statement this week which read in part: “The argument that ZANU PF wants to synchronize presidential and parliamentary polls as a way of saving tax-payers money does not convince Zimbabweans who know how the party has been abusing national funds in the past 26 years. The holding of senatorial elections on 26 November 2005 eight months after the parliamentary poll in March vindicates the Coalition’s cynicism about the fiscal discipline argument.”

The coalition said extending Mugabe’s term was not the only option. The ruling party could also have shortened the life of parliament to 2008. An extensive analysis of the reasons driving ZANU-PF to keep Mugabe can be heard on the programme In The Balance on Wednesday when Gugulethu Moyo talks to political commentator Dr. John Makumbe.