It may be too early to talk about the return of democracy in Zimbabwe – but one thing is certain: people when acting together can and do overturn even the most entrenched dictatorship.
There have been constant questions and debates in the Chamber about Zimbabwe most notably by Lord Blaker who has kept alive concern for that beknighted country for several years. The Government response has been understandably bland. I say understandably as many of you will know that President (I wonder when I can say ex-president?) Mugabe has cast the Brits and their colonial past as the evil enemy. Given that the UK maintained its Ambassador (formerly High Commissioner – when Zimbabwe was still a member of the Commonwealth) in Harare, one has to assume that some talks at some levels were being held.
Meanwhile the UK, and Parliament in particular, has welcomed the opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), many times. The leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has often been in prison, severely beaten, and survived several assassination attempts. Those who opposed Mugabe suffered similar punishment, torture is almost routine in police stations. Fear pervades the society and to add to that the shortage of essential foods has brought the country to its knees.
Yet last Saturday, despite police presence in the polling stations and other repressive measures, it seems that the people decided that Mugabe must go. As I say we haven’t had the official results which is in itself a suspicious sign that a frantic exercise in vote rigging is taking place. But the people have exercised their democratic right at enormous risk.
Democracy can never be imposed: it can only come from within a country. People do have power.
Mugabe set out with the best of intentions believing he could affect change in Zimbabwe for the better. He failed badly! I think he knows this now.
There is a positive note to all of this. What is broken can be mended with the right will and encouragement. After Mugabe goes or given his longevity, expires, the nation and its people can start over again.
Senex – your response is of course optimistic and cheery and right! But as one country regains democracy another may be moving towards dictatorship.There is no, and will never be a, perfect system of rights and obligations, of governments acknowledging the nature of the contract between them and their citizens. However, if one believes that information leading to knowledge is the bed rock of a more democratic system – then global communication must rank as an unstoppable force for change and freedom?
Baroness Dsouza:
As I understand it Zimbabwe is still a member of the Commonwealth.
Does this in anyway affect a countries Constitution and Parliamentary system or is it simply a trade association.
Senex, Zimbabwe was expelled from the Commonwealth about 4 years ago – mainly due to the failure to have free and fair elections.
The Commonwealth is a complex organisation and I think could best be described as a communicating group of democratic nations that have strong historical ties. Given that all these Commonwealth countries have either been colonies or dominions they share a common parliamentary and legal system.
This allows for a great deal of exchange between the various professional and political groups. While attachments are often sentimental there are also (diminishing now) preferential trade agreements.
The value of the Commonwealth I think is that it provides a regular forum for debate and discussion on almost every conceivable topic and nations that regularly talk to one another tend not to fight one another!