HARARE – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has described Zimbabwe’s transitional government as a “sham”, saying Harare’s protracted year-long administration has not made any real progress in implementing much-needed political reforms.

HRW director for Africa Georgette Gagnon at the weekend said the power-sharing government has demonstrated little political will or capacity to enact meaningful changes to improve the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans.

"The transitional power-sharing government is a sham . . . From a human rights perspective, nothing has changed for the better. Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF are still fully in control," Gagnon said.

She accused parties to the global political agreement (GPA) of lack of seriousness in implementing provisions of the pact they signed in September 2008 which led to the formation of the inclusive government last February.

She cited the lack of movement on issues where there is already consensus between ZANU PF and the two MDC formations as clear evidence that the parties lacked political will to move the country forward.

These include the appointment of new provincial governors and the swearing in of members of constitutional commissions to oversee media, electoral and human rights reforms.

To divert scrutiny of the continuing political instability and the failure to carry out the agreement, parties in the power-sharing government instead overemphasise the significance of efforts made to stabilise the economy, she said.

HRW called for parties to the government to begin preparations for holding internationally supervised free, fair, and credible elections that will lead to a legitimate and democratic government with the political will to bring about change.

"The power-sharing government experiment is not working," Gagnon said, adding; "Without political stability and rights reforms, any progress on economic recovery won't last."

The HRW official urged the government to take immediate steps to end abuses and create the necessary constitutional and electoral framework to ensure free, fair, and credible elections, as envisaged in the GPA.

She observed that ZANU PF continued to engage in political violence  against perceived opponents, with groups of war veterans and youth militias who have been deployed in the past to target the opposition remaining intact.

ZANU PF still uses elements in the security forces as instruments of repression. Military-led violent invasions of commercial farms continue.

In the first week of February 2010, police disrupted MDC-organised constitutional reform meetings, beat up participants and arbitrarily arrested 43 people in Binga, 48 in Masvingo, and 52 in Mt Darwin.

Zimbabwe’s media remains muzzled although the global political agreement recognises the importance of the rights to freedom of expression and communication.

There are no private daily newspapers or privately owned radio stations. Public information remains under the firm control of ZANU PF.

Not a single licence for independent media outlets has been issued since the power-sharing government was formed.

ZANU PF has also resisted complying with the rule of law and declared at its December 2009 congress that it would not allow security forces to be subjected to reform.

The security sector is deeply embedded in the political affairs of the country. -- ZimOnline