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Zimbabwe: Mugabe Plans to Dilute MDC Strongholds
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Zimbabwe Independent (Harare)
April 20, 2007
Posted to the web April 20, 2007
Posted to the web April 20, 2007
Augustine Mukaro
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's latest survival plan is to dilute opposition strength by expanding the National Assembly from 150 to 210 seats to ensure that the ruling party wins a two-thirds majority in next year's joint presidential and parliamentary elections.
Highly placed sources said Zanu PF is planning to increase the number of peri-urban constituencies throughout the country in a bid to dilute the MDC's dominance in urban areas. To achieve this, urban constituencies will be merged with rural ones, mainly farms acquired by the state and allocated to Zanu PF supporters.
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Zanu PF used the same ploy in Harare South during the last election in which its candidate Hubert Nyanhongo narrowly beat the opposition candidate.
There are plans to create new constituencies in Harare South, Manyame, Harare East, Borrowdale/Domboshava and Goromonzi-Tafara.
There are also likely to be at least three constituencies encroaching into Harare from Mazowe and Seke.
Sources said peri-urban constituencies would be formed in virtually all towns and cities to complement rural constituencies.
There are also plans to split rural constituencies where Zanu PF has always enjoyed overwhelming support. These include Murehwa North and South, Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe, Mudzi and Mashonaand Central which cover large geographical areas.
In Masvingo, the sources said, there was already talk of re-creating Gutu East and Gutu-Bikita constituencies which are currently two constituencies.
The sources said the objective behind increasing the number of rural constituencies was to increase the number of senators to 84 from 66 with effect from next year.
Senators will be elected on the basis of proportional representation, meaning that if Zanu PF manages to secure a large majority in the Lower House it will have a proportional number of senators in the Upper House. This resolves in Zanu PF's favour the potential problem of having the National Assembly and the Senate controlled by rival parties.
Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo this week said there would be major changes in boundaries for Harare and Bulawayo to incorporate farms that were acquired for urban expansion.
Provincial leaders who spoke to the Zimbabwe Independent said the delimitation commission had already been given the mandate to create 60 extra constituencies due to be announced before September when Mugabe is expected to kick-start his presidential campaign.
Mashonaland Central provincial chairman Chen Chimutengwende said the commission would soon communicate the new structures from the provinces.
"The delimitation commission is coming up with the framework and maps which the provinces will use," Chimutengwende said.
Zanu PF political commissar Elliot Manyika said Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa was in charge of the constituencies project.
Opposition MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the plan to increase the number of constituencies was a clear rigging process by Zanu PF.
"It is a rigging plan because there is no justification for such a move," Chamisa said. "The current parliamentarians are not fitting in the parliament building. If all members attend parliament, like during a budget presentation, extra chairs have to be brought in for members to fit."
Economists have said the move will stoke inflation as parliamentary costs soar.
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) raised concerns over the time factor and voter education, which might disenfranchise a significant number of people when they go to wrong constituencies.
"In 2005 when constituency boundaries were changed in the run-up to parliamentary elections at least 10% of the registered voters failed to cast their votes when they went to wrong constituencies," Zesn director, Rindai Chipfunde, said.
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"The changes that are being proposed for next elections are going to cause serious confusion and have the potential of disenfranchising a significant number of voters."
Chipfunde said if the changes were to be effected properly, a new voters roll should be available at least three months in advance and should be followed by intensive voter education.
"We are worried about the available time to make the changes effective. If there was commitment from all the stakeholders, it would be best to move the elections to the latter part of next year so that these fundamental changes become effective. If we rush them, then the same predictable result will be achieved."
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