BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA
London. (News of The South) – Why a government of national unity will not happen, despite it being the talk of the country.
The story is closer to science fiction than political journalism, but anything will do during the days of austerity measures.
One of the biggest and most frequently told lies in Zimbabwe debate is that there is no success without the opposition. It’s true to say that our economy has taken a wild dip. But by agreeing, as the opposition has done to participate in the running of the nation through their presence in parliament the MDC has endorsed the rule of ZANU PF. By accepting to be sworn in as members of parliament without first putting any limits or brakes on the government, they in effect voted for a government of ZANU PF with no guarantee that they would be able to prevent it. You can not expect hot and cold from the same fountain.
Is that right? That the main topic of conversation in and around Zimbabwe has been the creation of a so-called government of national unity to prevent a further dip in the economy. The plan, such as it is, is that the various opponents of ED would come together to appoint a new interim government. The new government would prevent a further slide into recession. The story is a figment of Chamisa’s imagination. There is no government of national unity in the near future.

In truth, there are so many obstacles to the government of national unity proposal as to render the whole thing ridiculous. But the single biggest hurdle is that no alternative government can take office without the support of the people, and yet no government led by Chamisa can command a majority in this parliament. So it will be a far fetched dream to have the none elected to be in the government.
The MPs elected under MDC colours don’t have a great deal in common politically, but they share an antipathy to ED on foreign policy and security issues. That feeling is shared by all opponents of ED.
Tactically, the overwhelming majority of the opposition do not trust Chamisa. They have made purposeful strides establishing themselves as the ideal home for voters who want to stop Chamisa’s dictatorship and have no desire to lend credibility to MDC on the issue.
Ideologically, they want to stop Chamisa because he is both a Childish and a manifestation of the rising tide of populism they consider it their mission to defeat.
So a unity government led by Chamisa is a non-starter. And prospects for an alternative government under a different leader backed by MDC are little better. MDC’s small band of longtime faithfuls are far from guaranteed to support a different outfit which might vindicate Chamisa.
In any case,Chamisa has no intention of giving way to allow another figure to become president. Why? Because if MDC fails to win a majority at the next election,Chamisa fears that having stepped aside to allow for the creation of a temporary government this time would make it harder to resist calls to do the same again on a permanent basis.
So, I repeat, there is no prospect of a unity government – yet the row over who would lead it and what it would do rumbles on. Why? In part, it’s because the potential of a cross-party government allows the broadcasters to focus on personalities, which they find easier to do rather than report on the progress being achieved by ZANU PF.
But it also serves the interests of the political parties involved. For Chamisa, it is an opportunity to remind MDC voters that the last time some of them swapped a vote for a ED one they ended up with an army led government – and one with Chamisa in ministerial office to boot. Team Chamisa believe that their path to victory lies in re-running the campaign and that the more MDC is a lonely voice against the massed ranks of the establishment, the better placed they are to achieve that aim: at least, that’s the theory.
For Mwonzora it serves as a way to underline his credentials and to reassure MDC members that he won’t be back-door route to State House. That’s not because the two parties are in cahoots – the reality is that formal relations between them have never been worse. But the trouble for both is that while their bickering is good politics for them in respect of their electoral targets at the next election, neither is certain of achieving their aims in this parliament.Chamisa’s hopes of stopping an ED rule are slim. For MDC , electoral success might prove to be a hollow consolation for political failure.
Vazet2000@yahoo.co.uk
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