- FSG View: Early elections will determine the future of the country and could bring turmoil or recovery
(Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/Associated Press)After several months of uncertainty regarding the election date, President Robert Mugabe set elections to take place with one month’s notice on the 31st of July after a new constitution was signed into law. Critics claim that by calling for early presidential, parliamentary and local elections, Mugabe wants to make sure there would not be enough time for the reforms outlined in the constitution to be implemented.
These speedily arranged and badly prepared elections are not good news for Zimbabwe. They threaten to slow the economy’s growth once again if the country falls back into chaos as it did in the aftermath of the violent and disputed 2008 vote.
But despite its many problems, the tumultuous coalition government between Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T and Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF, in power since 2008, had a positive impact on the economy. The economic recovery since 2010 is largely due to the resurgence of the agriculture sector and increasing diamond revenues. The impact of a growing agriculture sector is of particular importance given that it was the country’s main driver of economic growth in the past before the implementation of the widely criticized land reform which saw many white-owned farmers expelled from their lands.
But these elections could threaten Zimbabwe’s economic recovery. Both Mugabe and Tsvangirai will compete once again for the presidency. The rhetoric between the two contestants is heated and raises fears for a return to a political crisis and violence. However, both contestants announced to accept the elections result irrespective of the winner which raises hopes for a peaceful outcome.
The two contestants have very different visions for Zimbabwe. President Robert Mugabe is driving an indigenization policy to bring foreign-owned companies under government control which alienated foreign companies and the international community while Prime Minister Tsvangirai wants to encourage foreign investment.
These elections could mean a return to the turmoil or a continuation of economic recovery depending on the policies implemented by the winner. We must wait and see which path the country chooses…
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