It was a major meeting of economic and business minds, but political economy ended up taking centre stage, as KIISHWEKO ORTON notes of the World Economic Forum

Leaders at the May 2010 World Economic Forum on Africa in Dar es Salaam strongly scoffed at the emerging model of Governments of National Unity (GNUs). As a solution to serious political crises, which often have led to violence, they said the growing popularity of this alternative, raises a series of  questions on their constitutional legitimacy.

Questions were raised as to whether GNUs work and whether they contribute to better governance on the conflict-prone continent. “It is clear that these agreements bring stability to particular countries as is the case in Kenya, where the agreement between (Prime Minister) Odinga and (President) Kibaki served to bring to an end the post-electoral violence”, former Tanzania President Bejamin Mkapa said.

It was also urgued that had the popular will reflected in the votes been respected in Kenya and Zimbabwe Presidents Kibaki and Mugabe would have stepped down after the elections. Mr Motsabe Francis from the Young Global Leadership Organisation, opined that through fraud and violence first followed by the signing of GNU agreements soon after, both remain in power.

Zimbabwe’s Vice President Professor Mutambara, himself a partaker in a coalition arrangement, said it was equally important to determine the extent to which coalition solutions can be positive by analysing the functioning of the GNUs and their progress. A participant from Kenya, Ofwono Xavier, said an important risk involved in the formation of a GNU is that the leaders of the main political parties may become complacent leading to a lack of a response to the demands of the populace.

CIRCUMSTANCES

On the issue of prospects for a GNU in Zanzibar, Mkapa said that Zanzibaris should be given a chance to decide on whether they would want a GNU or not, indicative of the rising interest in this form of governance. “GNUs depend on different country circumstances where there is an unfortunate reality that none of the parties can form a government,’’ Mkapa observed, seemingly pushing for the isles to go the GNU way.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said there may not be a political recipe for all African countries, since all depended on different circumstances and realities. “We cannot have blanket recommendations for every country across the continent Whether GNUs should be permanent or not all depends on the political situations”.

UN Under Secretary General Anna Tibaijuka, who is also Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Porgramme, was of the view that post-election disagreements were becoming rampant in Africa because of the problem of ‘constitutional legitimacy’. Ironically, Tsavangirai, the Zimbabwean Prime Minister told the forum that he did not believe coalition governments were the best solution to solving post election conflicts.