“March by-elections
and the 2023 harmonized elections give the Government of Zimbabwe a chance to
show that #ZimVotesMatter, especially if it honors its commitment to level the
playing field by undertaking #ZimElectoralReform,”the U.S. Embassy in Harare
posted on Twitter…
“This week @usembassyharare
will tweet several examples of what our government sees as the criteria for a
free and fair election. Stated in the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery
Act (ZDERA) and also in Zimbabwe’s own constitution, these values have remained
constant.”
It is all very well
for the Americans giving the Zanu PF regime lectures on what reforms to
implement to ensure a level playing field, the benefits of free and fair
elections, etc., etc. How many times have they given these lectures? And Zanu
PF has ignored the recommendations on each occasion and for one good reasons.
Zanu PF will never
ever reform itself out of office, particularly when it does not need to do so.
There is no pressure on Zanu PF to implement the democratic reforms, the
prerequisite for free, fair and credible election. None!
The only time Zanu
PF was under any meaningful pressure to implement the reforms was during the
2008 to 2013 GNU when SADC force Zanu PF to sign the 2008 Global Political
Agreement, agreeing to the need to implement a raft of democratic reforms. Mugabe
bribed his MDC GNU partners with the trappings of high office and for five
years the forgot about the reforms. The GNU failed to implement even one reform
in five years and the golden opportunity was wasted.
Ever since the GNU
debacle Zanu PF has been very careful to entice the opposition to participate
in the flawed and illegal elections. In the 2018 elections there were 23
presidential candidates and thousands contested for the 210 parliamentary seats
– proof, as far as Zanu PF is concerned, that Zimbabwean elections are free, fair
and credible. If the elections were flawed, then why would so many Zimbabweans
participate?
These lectures from
the West on the basic requirements for free and fair elections before any elections;
followed by reports on the serious shortcomings in the elections and a list of
recommended reforms; are now the norm. These lectures from the Americans are
the umpteenth and, like all the others before, will be ignored.
If these Americans
are really serious about ensuring elections are free, fair and credible then
they must acknowledge there are two key variables in Zimbabwe politics; the
ruling party Zanu PF and the MDC. Zanu PF would not be in power today if MDC
had implemented the democratic reforms, especially during the GNU. And it is
MDC that is giving Zanu PF legitimacy by participating in flawed elections.
Zanu PF has
corrupted the MDC leaders, instead of being the champions of democratic changes
and pushing for free and fair elections MDC leaders have long abandoned that
task for a share of the spoils of power. MDC leaders not only failed to implement
the democratic reforms but are now actively undermining the efforts of those trying
to do so.
Trying to deliver
free, fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe by focusing on Zanu PF alone is
like trying to solve a two-variable equation by pretending it is a single
variable. It is a waste time!
MDC leaders are no long part of the democratic solution in Zimbabwe but rather part of the problem. One expected the Americans, the British, EU, etc. with all their rocket science sophistication to have figured it out by now!
Mwonzora wrote to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission saying he owns the name MDC Alliance and his party will contest using that name.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, MDC-T spokesman Witness Dube said the party has also suspended Senator Khaliphani Phugeni, who is accused of setting up a parallel communication structure within the party.
Let us be very clear on one thing: the people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders on the understanding the party would bring about the democratic changes necessary to stop Zanu PF rigging elections, as the party-name implies – movement for democratic change. After 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU, MDC has failed to implement even one democratic reform.
The MDC leaders have proven beyond all reasonable doubt that they are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent! There are like Lewis Carroll’s characters Tweedledum and Tweedledee, big mouth and pea-size brain, in Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There; who will fight at the drop of a hat over nothing.
USA ambassador to Zimbabwe 2004 to 2007, Chris Dell, said in a leaked cable to Washington that Morgan Tsvangirai was “a flawed and indecisive character, who would be an albatross round the nation’s neck if he ever got into power!” He should have said the same of the deadwood who elected him leader.
Sadly, Tsvangirai and company did get into power and have been the milestone round the nation’s neck dragging us all deeper and deeper into the crashing abyss! Not only has MDC failed to implement even one reform in 22 years but they are the ones who have been giving Zanu PF legitimacy by participating in flawed elections.
@ Razi Emile
ReplyDelete“People are not aware what it means to strike a deal with Satan.
If you run out of ideas to surprise your rival in anything whether it's Politics, Business or Marriage, you should never take the option to invite Satan to overpower your rival. Once you do that, a single deal with Satan will never be a one-off deal.”
Lest you forget, MDC failed to implement even one meaningful reform during the GNU. To pull that off would mean Zanu PF bribing the over 150 MDC leaders, each one of whom could have proposed the reforms, for five years. Not even the cunning and ruthless Robert Mugabe could have pulled that one off.
The only rational explanation is that MDC leaders are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent; they never really understood what the democratic reforms were about much less how these were to be implemented and therefore selling out was not so difficult. After all many of these MDC leaders, just as is the case with their Zanu PF counterparts, are in politics for selfish gain – something Mugabe understood only too well and exploited.
It is clear that it is not only the ruling party that has been ignoring the calls to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free and fair elections, MDC has done the same. David Coltart has admitted in his book that by participating in these flawed elections MDC is aware it is giving Zanu PF legitimacy. He confessed they have been participating regardless out of greed. What many Zimbabweans have found frustrating is that the Americans, British, etc. including our own SADC regional friends have all said nothing to the opposition about this blatant betrayal.
ReplyDeleteOf course, it is naïve to expect Zanu PF to implement any reforms and risk losing the elections when the party knows that the corrupt opposition will participate in flawed elections and give it legitimacy. It is therefore absurd to be religious lecturing Zanu PF to implement reforms when we all know it would be insane to do so when the party knows it does not need to.
MDC leaders are no longer fighting for free, fair and credible elections; they are fighting “to win rigged elections”, they have said so repeatedly. The Americans must either support this crazy idea or condemn it, openly or say nothing, it is their choice. What is frustrating is for them to ignore the reality that MDC is foolishly undermining efforts to get Zanu PF to implement reforms.
MDC leaders have lost political credibility and that is the reality we must accept and deal with if we are to get out of this hell-hole!
Zimbabwe needs US$17 million a month on imported electric power.
ReplyDeleteZimbabwe would not be importing power if the country was not so wasteful of its wealth. Mugabe wasted US$ 2 to 4 billion building his Blue Roof Mansion in Harare, it is empty because Grace is living in Dubia and her two boys are in SA, enough money to have built and equip Batoka Gorge, a second Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River!