Youth Communique

Communiqué

Preamble

We the young Zimbabweans who met on the 25^th of July to discuss the current negotiations on Zimbabwe and representing the National Youth Development Trust, Zinasu, YIDEZ, International Socialist Organisation, Habbakuk Trust, Bulawayo Dialogue, Intsha. Com, ZIMCODD, Radio Dialogue, National Constitutional Assembly, Students Christian Movement, Students Solidarity Trust and Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association.

Recognising that the crisis in Zimbabwe has resulted in the structural disempowerment and systematic marginalisation of young people;

Cognisant of the fact that the young people have been greatly affected by the crises in Zimbabwe;

Acknowledging that any process of dialogue in Zimbabwe should be based on the results of the March 29 elections

Recognising the need to set a new political precedent that respects electoral democracy as an important aspect of political transition;

Deploring the continuous marginalisation of young people in the economic, social and political agenda as shown by their lack of representation in the current negotiations,

Do hereby resolve that;

Resolutions

Years of intimidation and violence can not stop up, neither economic, social and political marginalisation silence us from shaping a new and genuine democratic dispensation for our country;

As a way of putting in place a new precedent of political power transition we therefore resolve that there be a Transitional Government that is mandated with the following:

a) Drafting and bringing to a referendum a new democratic people driven constitution which shall, among other things, deal with the following issues,

· Comprehensive electoral reforms

· Provide for an independent electoral commission

· Provide for a clear separation of powers between the executive, the judiciary and the legislature

· Restoration of the rule of law

· Scraping off of draconian legislations such as POSA and AIPPA

b) Economic reforms

· Restoring credibility of the country in the global finance institutions like the IMF and the World bank

· Re-oiling the Zimbabwean industries to create employment opportunities for the youths

· Provision of basic commodities for the survival of the people

c) Professionalising state institutions like the public media

· Depoliticisation of state media journalists

· Opening up of the media to everyone including opposition political parties and civil society

d) Professionalising the civil service especially the army and the police force

· Depoliticisation of civil servants

e) Preparing people for a free and fair presidential run off which shall be monitored by local, regional and international observers.

It is our well considered view that the above mentioned issues constitute the democratic fundamentals and necessary prerequisites for a new political dispensation in Zimbabwe which if ignored the outcome will be disastrous for the democracy project.