The Global Political Agreement (GPA) in Zimbabwe was signed on September 15, 2008, by three political parties: the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T), and the smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change-Mutambara (MDC-M). The agreement was a response to the violent and disputed presidential election earlier that year, which had led to a political and humanitarian crisis in the country.
The GPA established a framework for power-sharing between the three parties, with Robert Mugabe of ZANU-PF remaining as president and Morgan Tsvangirai of MDC-T becoming prime minister. The agreement also called for constitutional reform, the restoration of the rule of law, and the protection of human rights and media freedoms.
The signatories of the GPA were:
1. Robert Mugabe – President of Zimbabwe and leader of ZANU-PF. Mugabe had been in power since the country gained independence in 1980 and had faced criticism for his authoritarian rule and economic mismanagement.
2. Morgan Tsvangirai – Leader of MDC-T and former trade unionist. Tsvangirai had run against Mugabe in the disputed presidential election and had been subjected to violence and intimidation by the government.
3. Arthur Mutambara – Leader of MDC-M and a former student activist. Mutambara had split from Tsvangirai`s MDC party in 2005 and formed his own faction.
The signing of the GPA was a significant moment in Zimbabwe`s history, as it marked a rare instance of political cooperation between rival parties. However, the implementation of the agreement was fraught with challenges, as Mugabe and ZANU-PF resisted many of the reforms called for by the agreement. It wasn`t until 2013, after years of political wrangling and a divisive election, that Mugabe finally stepped down from power. Today, Zimbabwe remains a fragile democracy, with ongoing issues around corruption, human rights abuses, and economic instability.