"Legitimacy is an issue - last year's elections were
illegal, and not free and fair. All reasonable observers concede that,"
admitted David Coltart, MDC Alliance Treasurer General. It has taken almost a
year for the party to finally admit the elections were rigged.
What some people may not know is that Coltart and his MDC A
friends KNEW the elections would be rigged but they still participated in the
elections regardless. Why? Greed, plain and simple, as Coltart himself
confessed in his book.
In his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of tyranny in
Zimbabwe, former MDC – Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the GNU,
David Coltart, gave details of how Zanu PF flouted the electoral rules, it was clear
the upcoming 2013 elections would not be free and fair. And yet the two MDC
factions still participated in the elections regardless, blaming the decision
on the failure by the two factions to form a coalition.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition
was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” he
stated.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only
logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to
account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither
could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning
seats and giving the process credibility.”
Blaming the failure to form a coalition for participating in
elections they all knew were flawed and illegal was just a feeble excuse. The
real reason for participating was greed. They all knew Zanu PF was throwing
away a few gravy train seats as bait to entice the opposition to participate;
they could not resist the bait.
Three of the main MDC factions did form the coalition just
before last year’s election, they all knew Zanu PF would still rig the
elections since not even one reform was ever implemented since the 2013
elections and yet they still participated for the same reason as before - greed.
It has taken nearly a year for MDC A to finally admit last year’s
elections were “illegal and not free and fair” and so outcome is illegal and
those assuming power, be there from the ruling party or the opposition, on the
basis of the illegal elections are ipso facto illegitimate.
So, what is the way forward?
"It is also no use relying on the Constitutional Court
judgment because any lawyer worth his or her salt will explain how
fundamentally flawed both the procedure and judgment were. So, in a dialogue it
is unhelpful trying to argue that a discredited process must just be accepted,”
proposed Coltart.
"I would just add, we need a
dialogue arbitrated by a neutral democratic peer. We cannot have one person,
who even on his own figures, in a fraudulent unconstitutional election, won by
a tiny margin, dictate the terms, pace, venue and structure of the
dialogue."
No, how can we have those guilty of high
treason of holding “a fraudulent and unconstitutional elections”, Zanu PF for
organising the elections and MDC A for knowingly participating in the illegal
elections, dictate the way forward!
Yes, legitimacy is the BIG ISSUE in
Zimbabwe. Since last year’s elections were illegal and not free and fair, the
country does NOT have a legitimate government as of the 1 st August 2018. The
idea of Zanu PF and MDC A, even with the help of a neutral democratic peer can continue
to usurp the people’s power and fundamental right to a meaningful say in the
governance of the country by conferring legitimacy on themselves is any abomination.
It is the people of Zimbabwe alone in a free, fair and credible elections
confer legitimacy.
Even if one was to overlook the patronising
and political arrogance and contempt with which both Zanu PF and MDC A leaders have treated the
ordinary Zimbabweans throughout these last 39 years; one cannot ignore the
political reality that the political dialogue proposed by the two parties will
not deliver free, fair and credible elections. The two parties were in the last
GNU in 2008 to 2013 and they failed to implement even one meaningful democratic
reform, it is naïve to expect the two to do any better the second time round.
Even if not even one reform was
implemented MDC A leaders would participate in the 2023 elections regardless
for the same reason they participated in the 2013 and 2018 elections – greed.
Why would Zanu PF implement any reforms and risk losing the elections when the
party KNOWS that the MDC A will participate in the elections regardless how
flawed and illegal process as long as Zanu PF offers the bait gravy train
seats.
Now it is finally agreed last July’s
elections were illegal, and not free and fair then both Zanu PF and MDC A must
know they are both illegitimate and must step down. The nation must be allowed
the political space and time to appoint an interim administration that will be
tasked to finally implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed at the on-set
of the 2008 GNU.
Zimbabwe history will record that Zanu PF
established the de facto one-party dictatorship that has ruled the country with
an iron fist these last 39 years with disastrous consequences. History will
also note that MDC leaders wasted many golden opportunities to implement the democratic
reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Even with the nation’s very existence
on the line still it took MDC leaders a year to admit the 2018 elections were
illegal. One only hopes that MDC leaders will not give Zanu PF any more excuses
for refusing to step down.
Zimbabwe’s next elections must be free,
fair and credible and the people’s freedoms and rights fully restored – that is
not too much to ask!
Speaking at the ongoing African Union-United Nations Wildlife Economy Summit in Victoria Falls yesterday, Mnangagwa said: "What I said in Mozambique was indicative of where we wanted to go. (And) what happened yesterday (on Monday) shows that Zimbabwe is back to normalcy by introducing its own currency. Our currency is denominated in coins, RTGS and bond notes."
ReplyDeleteBanishing trade in the foreign currency when the local currency is as sick as a parrot will not make the people have any confidence in the local currency. There is nothing normal about having a monthly inflation rate of 80%!
When Mnangagwa started crowing “Zimbabwe is open for business!” soon after the 2017 military coup many people doubted his claim since nothing much had changed. Still, they gave him the benefit of the doubt. Many have been shocked to see that he had done nothing, absolutely nothing, to justify his claim that the country was ready for business. Mnangagwa is just one of those tyrants with an inflated ego but nothing to justify it, a paper tiger in every sense of the word!
@ Obert Gutu
ReplyDeleteZimbabwe is already in a doom's day scenario - unemployment has soared to 90%, there 19 hours a day power cuts, there is no running water for months on end, health care and education have all but collapsed with staff paid enough to work 2 days a week, monthly inflation rate is already 80%, there is a shortage of most commodities, etc. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Zimbabweans are dying every month for want of food, US$5 per month medicine and other poverty related challenges. If this is NOT doom's day scenario then tell us what else has to happen to finally force you to open your eyes!
"Legitimacy is an issue - last year's elections were illegal, and not free and fair. All reasonable observers concede that," David Coltart, Treasurer General of MDC A admitted, finally.
The pressure is now on you, Mr Obert Gutu, VP of MDC - T and all the other sell-out opposition parties who endorse last year's elections as free, fair and credible and Mnangagwa and Zanu PF as legitimate to change your bull-s***t statement. When are you going to finally admit last year's elections were rigged?
We are not going to give you a moment's rest until you admit you sold-out during the last GNU by failing to implement the reforms and now you are propping up an illegitimate regime to gain favours! “Prophets of doom shall be put to shame!” No, it is the corrupt, incompetent and sell-out people like you who are profiting from the suffering and deaths of the people who have no shame and must be held to democratic account.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Peter Mutasa told the same briefing that if government does not revoke the ban on the use of multi-currency, workers would be left with no option, but to strike.
ReplyDelete“If, by Tuesday, the government does not give us a favourable answer, we will mobilise for mass action. This we have made it clear. People are dying and it is not about us as union leaders, but the generality of Zimbabweans who are affected by this move,” Mutasa said, forcing Nzenza to react angrily.
“In cases where the holder of such an account intends to settle domestic transactions, they shall be required to liquidate their foreign currency account balances to the interbank on a willing-seller willing-buyer basis,” part of the directive read.
The order triggered an outcry on Tuesday evening, with most people accusing government of raiding their foreign currency accounts and yesterday morning, panicky account holders flooded banks to withdraw their money as uncertainty and confusion raged on.
The tragic economic consequences of the 2000 to 2008 hyperinflation should have taught all Zimbabwe governments that followed that inflation was the one thing they must not allow to return ever again. When inflation started surging upward above 10% the alarm bells should have started ringing. The monthly inflation rate was 80% already last week and there is no doubt the pressure was on to off load as much as possible the local currency in favour of the more stable foreign currency.
By banning the use of foreign currency as legal tender the government was forcing people to use a currency they clearly did not want because it was losing its value. The move only served to make people panic and reject the local currency with increased concern!
It is the government of the day’s duty to ensure the local currency is stable and this government has clearly failed in this regard and is now seeking to punish the people by forcing them to trade in a currency that is losing half its value every six week! All that will happen now is there will be even less economic activity, shop shelves will be empty, there will be more shortages, etc. There will be even more human suffering and many more will die unnecessarily!
The banning of the use of the foreign currency at a time when monthly inflation is already 80% and rising was just another foolish blunder by this illegitimate and incompetent Zanu PF regime. We should never forget that Zanu PF rigged last year’s elections and even the party’s partner in crime MDC A has now public admitted this.
"Legitimacy is an issue - last year's elections were illegal, and not free and fair. All reasonable observers concede that," admitted David Coltart, Treasurer General of MDC A, finally.
The only way to end this political and economic mess is for Zanu PF to step down so the country can finally implement the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections. There is no other way out!
Malawi Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has assured development partners, business community and the private sector and the general public that Malawi is not in a crisis.
ReplyDeleteIt is a crying shame that decades after independence the country cannot hold free, fair and credible elections. What some of our idiotic African leaders fail to understand is that the investors and the world at large do not need to be told that there is no crisis when they can see it with their own eyes.
The failure to hold free, fair and credible elections is a curse Africa must now deal with. Free and fair elections is the foundation on which good governance and economic prosperity can be built. Africa has remained the dark continent plagued by poverty, civil war, corruption and bad governance. Until we clean up our act, lay the foundation for good governance by ensure elections are free, fair and credible, there will be no end to our economic and political problems.
“We would like to assure developmental partners, the business community and private sector that as the DPP Government, we will ensure that the country remains peaceful; that business is not disrupted as we deal with the outstanding issues from the electoral process. We wish to emphasize that the country is not in a crisis and we look forward to the conclusion of the court processes in a peaceful manner so that the country can move forward,” said Dausi.
Can he assure the investors the elections were free, fair and credible? The evidence on the ground says otherwise!
@ Terence Charsley
ReplyDelete“What you should be saying is plan for 2023, while we continue watching the circus unfold,” you said.
You and me and millions of other ordinary Zimbabweans out there we have all been watching the circus unfold for the last 39 years. Initially it was Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs as they rod roughshod over our freedoms and rights to establish the de facto one party dictatorship that has ruled the nation since independence in 1980. The regime has all but destroyed the nation’s economy forcing millions of us into poverty and those lucky enough to escape have done so.
Since 1999, many of us have risked life and limb to elect Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends in the ticket they would implement the democratic reforms necessary to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship and restore our individual freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections. They had many golden opportunities to get this done but failed to do so because they are corrupt and incompetent.
With unemployment at 90%, with health care all but collapsed, 19 hours power cuts, etc. it is clear that Zimbabwe at the edge of the precipice. It is therefore shocking, to say the least, that anyone out there would be content “to continue watching the circus”!
If we do not anything to make sure the democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections are implemented then, of course, the 2023 will be rigged again. The circus will continue alright!
@Stan Dube
ReplyDelete“Your politics is commenting..why don’t you participate by fielding your own. Don’t you know that they will always field pseudo parties and legitimise the process..please spare us that dramma” you said.
After 39 years of “participating” and the country sinking deeper and deeper into despair and poverty there is surely a crying need for thorough investigation to establish why we are in this mess.
In last year’s elections there were no fewer than 130 political parties, that did not produce a good and competent government. So why you think having more political parties is the answer beggars belief! You are just obsessed with quantity. Having more political parties will not solve our problems, it is quality we want.
Unemployment is a nauseating 90%, there is 19 hours a day load shedding, health care has all but collapsed, etc., etc. What more drama do you want? “Spare us that drama!” Yeah right! Why have you not asked Zanu PF and MDC leaders to do that; they are the ones causing it all not me!