Tendai Biti and his PDP have
finally joined the other seven small opposition party in Coalition for
Democrats (CODE).
“This is a coalition that is not in
competition with other opposition parties but we are not going to bow before
anyone . . . we are going to work very hard to ensure that next year we give
Zanu PF a run for their money . . . ” said Biti.
This is a nightmare!
People have risked life
and limp to elect MDC and former MDC leaders like Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube
and Tendai Biti into power on the promise they will deliver democratic change
and restore people’s freedoms and human rights and dignity. These politicians
had many opportunities to do just that, the best chance being during the GNU
when SADC leaders egged them on to implement the democratic reforms which would
have stopped Zanu PF rigging elections. MDC failed to get even one reform
implemented, not one!
With no reforms in place,
SADC leaders, literally, begged MDC not to take part in the 2013 elections
because it did not make any sense to contest any election knowing fully well
the vote will be rigged. MDC leaders disregarded the warning and contested the
elections for purely selfish reasons as Senator David Coltart had admitted in
his recent book.
“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,” explained Senator Coltart.
“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.”
As expected Zanu PF went
on to blatantly rig the elections. It was none other than Tendai Biti himself
who was complain of Zanu PF youths bussed in to vote. The evidence is there for
the whole world to see, google “Tendai Biti witness vote rigging in Zimbabwe”. Worse
things happened in the rural area, away from the media and where Zanu PF thugs
rule the roost; the villagers were harassed and herded off like cattle to vote
for Zanu PF.
Mr Biti, did MDC give “Zanu
PF a run for its money” in 2013 by allowing the regime to ride roughshod over
the people’s basic right for a meaningful say in the governance of the country?
So, what was it exactly did you accomplished worthy of giving up on the golden opportunity
to implement the democratic reforms and allowing the nation to finally have its
first free and democratic elections?
Mr Biti was one of the
few opposition politicians who won their seat in the 2013 elections and, being
the political chameleon that he is, Biti had the cheek to suggest the elections
was not rigged, Zanu PF won because it was better organised!
Most MDC leaders agreed
Zanu PF rigged the July 2013 elections and resolved they will not contest any
future elections until meaningful reforms are implemented. Tendai Biti did not
contest the by-election to try win back his seat after Tsvangirai recalled all
the seats of those who had broken away with Biti.
Are we to now understand
that MDC leaders are once again not going to do the obvious thing of boycotting
until meaningful reforms are implemented just “to give Zanu PF a run for its
money”?
No doubt MDC leaders did
not implement even one reform during the GNU for the exact same reason – “to
give Zanu PF a run for its money”.
Zimbabwe’s failure to
hold free and fair elections is at the very heart of the country’s economic
mess. Unemployment is a nauseating 90%, basic services like health, education
the supply of clean water all but collapse and millions living in abject
poverty. The economic situation in Zimbabwe is now both intolerable and
unsustainable, the country is tittering on the edge of serious social and
political unrest if nothing is not done to end the economic meltdown.
Simply put, Zimbabwe
cannot afford yet another rigged elections!
So, Mr Biti, forget your
egotistic nonsense of “giving Zanu PF a run for its money”; what the nation
want to know is are next year’s elections going to be free, fair and credible?
MDC was elected to
deliver democratic change including free, fair and credible elections; the need
for free elections is greater now than ever!
This is typical of our
corrupt and incompetent politicians, the people elect them to do one thing and
as soon as they get into power they sell out and start pursuing their own
selfish agenda and sell the people bronze, or worse, for gold! Zanu PF were
elected on a mandate to deliver freedom, peace, justice and economic prosperity
and the regime has become corrupt and a murderous dictatorship.
MDC leaders were elected
to deliver the democratic changes designed to end the Zanu PF dictatorship and
they have now become the regime’s silent partners, taking part in flawed
elections to give them democratic legitimacy in return for the few opposition
seats on the gravy train.
CODE is going to “give
Zanu PF a good run for their money”. Yeah, right! What a feeble excuse for abandoning
“No reform, no elections!” and once again participating in flawed elections!
Mugabe says he is staying on in power because his party and the nation wants him to.
ReplyDeleteAs long as President Mugabe is allowed to rig elections he will do so and claim he has the people's mandate to rule. The really important point here is to stop him rigging the elections which is why we must implement the democratic reforms BEFORE next year's elections! It is madness participating in elections in which voters are going to be herded like cattle to vote for him!