“The
opposition in Zimbabwe is an obliging and complicit opposition, particularly
because of their experience in the GNU,” said Ibbo Mandaza.
“What do I mean by obliging and complicit? If
the opposition, in particular the MDC-T, wanted to collapse the Mugabe regime,
all they had to do was walk out of Parliament tomorrow and furthermore declare,
as Kenya’s Raila Odinga has said, “no reforms, no elections”, a position which
they had taken a year or two ago.”
I do agree with you there that the opposition
is “obliging and complicit”. However, I do not think government would collapse
if the MDC-T MPs walked out of parliament demanding “No reform, no elections”
as Raila Odinga has done in Kenya because the circumstances of the two countries
are totally different. Whilst Odinga implemented the democratic reforms during
the GNU Tsvangirai failed to get even one reform implemented.
Just
before the 2013 elections, there was a lot of talk of MDC refusing to contest
elections until reforms were implemented. Patrick Chinamasa called a press
conference where many of Zimbabwe’s foreign ambassadors were invited. He
dismissed MDC’s call for reforms by presenting one of his own; Zanu PF has
never refused to implement any reforms that MDC had called for throughout the
GNU, he should know because he was minister of justice and parliamentary
affairs.
It is
one thing to call for “No reform, no elections!” when you produce a list of
reforms you want implemented. During the GNU MDC had the majority in parliament
therefore could have had their proposed reforms passed in the house. They never
proposed even one reform.
Even
with the reduced MDC MPs after the July 2013 elections, still the party could
have tabled the reforms it wanted. They never did. Ask any of the opposition
politicians what reforms they want even today and none of them will give you a
straight answer.
“So,
in reality, they (MDC) are party to the situation we are experiencing right now
in our country and; indeed, given the trajectory of the election process and
the precedence we have seen during the last four elections, there is little
belief that the outcome will be any different from what it was in the past,”
continued Mandaza.
Dr Mandaza
is spot on there. Tsvangirai and company failed to get even one democratic
reform implemented during the GNU, when it was in MDC’s powers to implement the
reform whilst President Mugabe had his hands tied by the Global Political
Agreement (GPA) agreeing to the reforms. There is no doubt that MDC leaders
sold-out on reforms during the GNU. President Mugabe pampered them silly with
the trappings of high office; limos, generous salaries and allowances, a former
white-owned farm and a $4 million Highlands mansion for Welshman Ncube and
Morgan Tsvangirai respectively, etc. To show their gratitude, MDC leaders kicked
democratic reforms into the tall grass.
After
the July 2013 elections marking the end of the GPA and giving Zanu PF a two thirds
majority in parliament, the task of getting any reforms implemented was a lot
tougher. After the heavy defeat, it was clear that MDC leaders were deeply regretting
their folly of failing to implement the reforms during the GNU. They even
passed “No reform, no elections!” resolutions but that was a half-hearted
affair to be soon forgotten.
The
MDC’s current position is to pay lip-service to calls for democratic reforms
but continue contesting national elections regardless how flawed and illegal
the process happens to be as long as there is a chance of winning a few gravy
train seats. Since the 2008 elections, Zanu PF has learnt that it can continue
to rig the vote and not risk the result being rejected as long as it allows the
opposition to win a few seats.
So,
if Zimbabweans want an end to rigged elections and free, fair and credible
elections it is for them, not MDC much less Zanu PF, to demand the
implementation of the democratic reforms BEFORE elections. It is insane to keep
contesting flawed elections hoping against hope that Zanu PF will rig the vote
but lose the elections!
Morgan
Tsvangirai and his MDC friends are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent, it
is insolent of Dr Mandaza to compare Tsvangirai with Odinga. It was very
foolish of us to have entrusted the task of bringing about the democratic
changes the nation is dying for to Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends and it
is unforgivable to still continue to follow him, knowing his pathetic track
record.
This is the worrying thing about MDC, you acknowledge that Zanu PF has rigged elections in the past, you acknowledge that the regime is doing so once again but what you will not accept is the need to stop contesting these flawed elections and implement the reforms first. What is the point of you asking the people to go and register to vote when you readily agree that ZEC are making it impossible for these people to register.
ReplyDelete“Our ICT experts, together with us the politicians, are working round the clock to ensure that the 2018 elections are not stolen as was the case in 2013. As we say in the Shona language : “tamba tamba chidembo muskwe takabata’’. We will never, ever allow Zec and their Zanu PF surrogates to once again steal the people’s vote in 2018,” you say.
It is all very well for you to be making all these grand postures, what the nation wants to know are what exactly are you doing to address the problems on the ground?
“The Zanu PF regime is determined to have as few people as possible to register to vote, particularly in the densely populated urban settlements,” you acknowledge.
This is nothing new, we have the same problem in the 2013 elections and MDC did nothing. What we want to know is what is MDC doing to make sure this is not going to happen again?
What is clear here is that MDC will contest next year’s elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process becomes as long as the party has any hope of winning the few gravy train seats Zanu PF throws away, bait to entice the opposition to contest. MDC leaders sold-out during the GNU by failing to implement even one reform and the party is now selling-out on demanding reforms by insisting in contesting these flawed elections.
MDC’s political posturing whilst dragging the nation into an election process everyone can see will never be a free, fair and credible process is socially, morally and politically unacceptable.
@ Vigil
ReplyDelete"Mugabe said he had only learnt about the situation last week when returning from South Africa. He must have had another eye operation there because those who can see would have noticed that the commercial heart of the Sunshine City has for long been an eyesore," you said.
Well said!
Fungai, you need to change the mask, the real Mugabe today is not that young looking, he is always dozing in public and at night he sleeps with one open, according to his wife!
15 years of standing outside the Zimbabwe Embassy every Saturday come, sun, rain or snow! Many of us would have given up the fight after 15 days and 15 weeks at most! Well done everybody.
“Dictatorships the world over subsist on voter apathy!” No, you moron, if ZEC officials are taking two hours to register one voter or are not registering anyone at all because they do not have VR9 forms what do you want the ordinary people to do! The Zanu PF dictatorship has managed to stay in power all the last decade because MDC leaders have failed to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop the regime rigging the vote.
ReplyDelete“If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!” SADC warned MDC leaders at the Maputo summit in June 2013. SADC leaders were warning against contesting elections with no reforms in place.
MDC leaders did not listen and Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the vote and win with a landslide because the regime had carte blanche powers to rig the vote – nothing to do with voter apathy!