According to the GPA that led to the creation of an inclusive Government by Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations in September 2008, the parties agreed that for a period of 12 months starting September 15, they would not contest against each other in any by-elections.
This means the party holding the seat prior to it falling vacant shall contest that particular by-election against independ-ent candidates and representatives from parties not signatory to the GPA.
That 12-month period expired last week and the parties are now exploring the possi-bility of extending that morato-rium.
Interestingly though, despite this provision of the GPA, no by-elections have been held since last year with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission saying it is broke and cannot afford to stage any polls at present.
Yesterday the parties indicated that no formal talks had been held on the issue but there was a general under- standing that it was necessary to extend the period.
MDC PF negotiator to the talks and party secretary-general Professor Welshman Ncube said there was an informal agree-ment to review the timeframe set by the GPA on the matter of by-elections.
“We have had an informal discussion and agreed that we have a formal meet-ing as the negotiators to discuss the issue before we make recommendations to the principals,” he said.
Prof Ncube said a meeting date had not yet been set. “We will meet in the coming weeks. We informally agreed that contesting against each other will cause a great deal of animos-ity when the efforts to unite the people of Zimbabwe are still underway,” Prof Ncube said.
He said there was need to ensure con-ditions for peaceful elections were guar-anteed before the parties went to the polls.
Zanu-PF negotiator Cde Patrick Chinamasa said they were yet to discuss the issue as a party. “Nothing has been discussed yet and we are still to
consider that position.”
Efforts to contact MDC-T negotiators, Mr Tendai Biti and Mr Elton Mangoma were fruitless at the time of writing. However, party spokesperson Mr Nelson Chamisa said there were still challenges that needed to be addressed but added that it was within the capacity of the principals— President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara — to chart a way forward.
“It is, however, also a challenge that while the parties are bound by the GPA, the matter is also constitutional. “There is also need to consider that the provision is a political arrangement that has to be considered by the three parties,” he said.
According to Article XXI of the GPA, which led to the formation of an inclusive Government in February this year, the parties cited the divisive and often confrontational nature of elections.
The parties also wanted to allow the pact to take root among the parties while giving people some breathing space and a healing period without contesting each other in elections.
Fifteen parliamentary seats have fallen vacant since the signing of the GPA. Some of these were after the re-appointment of the legislators to other Parliamentary or State duties, while others have been because of the death or the criminal conviction by the country’s courts of the incumbents.
Three of the vacant seats are a result of the expulsion of the MPs from the House of Assembly after their party (MDC) had also expelled them from their ranks.
