Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 12/2010

Zimbabwe: Power-Sharing Deal Under Stress

Michael Bratton

November 2010

United States Institute of Peace

Abstract

* Zimbabwe's coalition government is increasingly dysfunctional, mainly due to a defeated incumbent ruler's unwillingness to surrender real executive authority to a popular opposition.
* The latest dispute over the president's unilateral exercise of appointment powers threatens to escalate into a constitutional crisis that seems likely to be resolved only through fresh elections.
* International actors can help to bring Zimbabwe's transition to a peaceful and democratic conclusion by guaranteeing power sharing, supervising elections, and maintaining targeted sanctions.