Is Zimbabwe Poised on a Liberal Path? The State and Prospects of the Parties

Abstract

After Zimbabwe achieved independence in 1980 (in spite of the proliferation of parties) there was a tendency towards "too few" parties, a tendency towards a one-party state, thereby weakening the development of competition in the political arena. This development occupied the decade of the 1980s. The one-party state seemed progressively eminent as Zimbabwe got nearer the 1990s, particularly after the 1987 "unity accord" between Zimbabwe African National UnionPatriotic Front (ZANU[PF]) and Patriotic FrontZimbabwe African Peoples Union (PF-ZAPU), traditionally the two major political parties in Zimbabwe nationalist politics. Although the formation of Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM) in early 1989 seemed to forestall the legislation of a one-party state, the crushing defeat of that party in the presidential and general elections of 1990 left no doubt in most observers' minds that legislation for the one-party state was around the corer. Then, in 1991 the fixation with the oneparty state anachronism was abandoned. What happened? What are the factors responsible for the change in direction? Is this change philosophical (principled) or political (tactical)? What is the state of health of the opposition in Zimbabwe? What are the future prospects for both the opposition and the ruling party? In other words, is Zimbabwe finally poised on a liberal democratic path?