In a very rare moment of genius (common sense amongst this lot is so rare
it is considered genius) a few of Zimbabwe’s opposition parties have actually said
something that is sensible. They have condemned the country’s proposed
computerized biometric voting system (BVS) as unworkable.
"Zanu
PF and ZEC control the passwords and any override authority. These are the very
people whom the Zimbabwean people do not trust. They can alter the data at any
time. Remember whoever has the authority to add a voter`s data, can change or
delete it and none of us can ever detect it," reads the Coalition of
Democrats (CODE) statement.
CODE brings together a handful of Zimbabwe’s many, many (28 contested
the 2013 elections) opposition parties including MDC (Ncube), Simba Makoni’s Mvambo/Kusile/Dawn
and Elton Mangoma’s Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ). Whilst the
nation and the whole world at large have largely ignored CODE as just a bunch
of lunatics doing anything and everything just to be noticed. Well in condemning
the BVS they have made themselves, for once, standout and be noticed!
ZEC
launched BVS with the usual fun-fare, song and dance to silence all the critics
for the Zanu PF regime’s failure, once again, to hold free, fair and credible
elections. ZEC went to great lengths to explain how the new system would be a
significant improvement on the old although the commission failed to explain
how BVS would stop some of the glaring voting irregularities such as opposition
supporters’ details being deliberately posted into constituency roll other the
one they expected.
Both
MDC-T and PDP, two of the country better known opposition parties – they had
some MP and Senators in power, not that they have ever accomplished anything
even when the MDC had the majority during the GNU – have already come out in
support of BVS. They ignored all those who said without implementing the far
reaching democratic reforms first BVS will not stop vote rigging.
ZEC has already
done some trial runs with BVS and so the regime is set to introduce the new
system in the next elections, set for July 2018 – exactly two years away!
By
condemning BVS CODE have really set themselves apart from MDC-T and PDP who
will now be forced to explain how indeed anyone is going to stop Zanu PF and
ZEC adding, deleting and other vote rigging dirty data shenanigans on the new
BVS! This presents a really difficult political decision for both MDC-T and PDP;
they have publically supported BVS and now they will be forced to flip-flop.
Flip-flopping is bad enough even for a party like MDC-T known for doing so but
doing so at the behest of the “lunatic” fringe will make that a lot harder to
swallow.
Yet both
Biti and Tsvangirai will have no choice but come out and admit that BVS will do
nothing to deliver free and fair elections. The longer they try to defend BVS
the more ridiculous they will look. And if Zanu PF goes on to rig the next
elections using the same dirty tricks they are been warned of now then this
time their names will be proverbial “Mud!”
“A
Biometric voting system will bring several other issues without any extra
benefits. CODE therefore rejects the BIOMETRIC VOTERS ROLL,” read the CODE
statement, a pointed dagga in the back both Biti and Tsvangirai know they
cannot ignore.
If both
MDC-T and PDP were to reject BVS that would be a pointed dagga forcing the dozy
Mugabe to bolt upright! The prospect of him having to rely on the same dirty
vote rigging tricks as he use last time especially when he has just quarrelled with
the war veterans – the boots on the ground storm troopers who did all the
donkey and dirty work!
BVS must
have offered the tyrant more modern and technically advanced ways of rigging
the elections. The prospect of having to revert to the old system and having to
rely on the brainwashed morons likes of Jabulani Sibanda or Kudzai Chipanga with
so many enemies demanding his fall must be really frightening even for someone
like him with a hippopotamus thick political skin!
It is
said that the beat of a butterfly’s wings in Japan may be the innocent
beginning of a deadly hurricane in North America! Mavambo et al may be the
lunatic fringe of Zimbabwe politics, still their foot-stomping rejecting of the
BVS has send out a shock wave that will reverberate and amplify and end up
causing the greatest political earthquake of our time in Zimbabwe!
Zimbabwe's opposition has been nothing but bunch of useless lunatics because they have all proven to be power hungry but have never grasped it even when it was thrust upon them because they are corrupt and incompetent. Whilst it was the MDC who failed to get even one reform implemented during the GNU one cannot deny the role Mavambo, Zapu and all the other opposition parties have played in this. I do not remember any of them ever saying anything to argue MDC leaders to implement the reforms. Since the rigged July 2013 elections they have wasted the last three years talking about forming coalitions, electoral reforms, fighting amongst themselves, etc.; nothing of value until now.
ReplyDeleteI join in applauding Dr Simba Makoni and his CODE friends in making this giant step in realizing that the proposed BVS was just another Zanu PF distraction to give the impression the regime is finally doing something to end the vote rigging when in reality it is introducing yet another variation to its vote rigging tapestry. It has taken Dr Makoni two years to see this but let us be grateful for such little mercies!
The most notable thing about the foot-stomping stance these lunatic fringe opposition parties has taken is that by having a quality decision they too can be noticed. They did not need to be in the coalition to come up with this decision. So all the time spent in coalition talks were a complete waste of time.
DeleteI do not think the CODE full appreciate the importance of this position call but they do not need to understand it; what matters is that both MDC-T and PDP or any other opposition party out there cannot ignore this without bringing the spotlight on themselves as the lunatics!
Mugabe and Zanu PF know the coming elections will be tough, the toughest the party has ever faced. If the regime doggedly go on with the BVS, this could be the one issue that could force the usually divided and confused opposition to unity and boycott the elections. Political legitimacy is hard enough to get after rigging an election, it is impossible when there is no one there to cheat!
In a country where very little ever happens it is tempting to see any action as the answer.
ReplyDeleteLet us just say all Zimbabweans had fallen behind Pastor Evan Mawarire's #ThisFlag and President Mugabe had "listened" and fired the corrupt ministers, had recovered the $15 bil-lion and fulfilled all the other demands but President Mugabe remained in power and went on to rig the next elections to consolidate his grip on power. Would we all join in the celebrations then, after all we would have got all we asked for?
If we did join in celebrating another Zanu PF victory, it will not be long before we realized our lot has not changed because the economic meltdown, the corruption, etc. will still be there. After 36 years of this corrupt and murderous regime anyone who thinks that asking the tyrant to fire one or two of his ministers, etc.is enough to transform the regime to become a competent and visionary one is, like it or not naive!
You say we "are learned" but if we have not learnt that elections are about the people having a meaning vote which must necessarily include regime change then we have learnt nothing! After 36 years of rigged elections the only demand worth supporting in the demand for free, fair and credible elections anything else is a waste of time.
Street protests will be met with brutal force and it is foolish to join in the protest just to de-mand the firing of one corrupt minister only for the tyrant to appoint five more in his/her place. This is like asking for Kamikaze type attack with the express intention of crashing the plane 100m away at the nearest contend ensuing sea water spray, dust cloud, etc. will be enough to force the enemy to surrender!
President Mugabe has lasted 36 years in power because the opposition and the electorate have been a confused bunch with not even one clear idea what to do to end the dictatorship. As can be expected in the circumstance there has not been a shortage of individuals like Morgan Tsvangirai and now Joice Mujuru all swearing they know the way to the Promised Land when in fact they have no clue. All they have ever done is exploiting the people just as readily as Mugabe has done these 36 years.