My cautious optimism for Zimbabwe’s 2012 elections

In this Opinion, prominent Zimbabwean civil society activist Briggs Bomba argues that 2012 could to be a decisive year in Zimbabwe’s recent history. A number of domestic and international factors could come together to force the regime to hold democratic elections, and the transformed international scene – with the influence of the Arab spring and the NATO-led Libyan intervention – could create an auspicious environment for the country’s long-awaited transition. Bomba also insists that the continued pressure from Zimbabwe’s vibrant civil society organisations is vital for the real democratisation of Zimbabwe’s institutions. For any transition to become truly meaningful it ‘must be completed in the hard years after democratic election’.