The African Union, in its latest summit on July 01, has come forward with a compromise formula to defuse the political time bomb in Zimbabwe. It has proposed the formation of a national unity government in which the opposition parties will share power with ZANU-PF, the ruling Robert Mugabe’s party. The summit passed a resolution to this effect.

In the meanwhile, leaders of some African countries openly criticized Zimbabwe and the run-off elections recently held there.

Botswana, a neighbor of Zimbabwe, said Mugabe’s participation in African meetings “Would give unqualified legitimacy to a process (the one man run-off elections) which cannot be considered legitimate.”

The Vice President of Botswana, Mompati Merafhecame, down heavily on the Zimbabwean ruling party when he said, “In our considered view... the representatives of the current government in Zimbabwe should be excluded from attending SADC (Southern African Development Community) and African Union meetings.”

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga went a step ahead when he called for Mugabe, 84, to be suspended from the African Union.

Mugabe, who still gets some support from the regional power South Africa however managed to attend and address the final session of the two-day summit. It remains to be seen how Mugabe and the opposition parties in Zimbabwe receive the idea of a unity government.

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