Saturday, 9 June 2018

"Zimbabwe is NOT ready for elections," say observers - "You ain't seen nothing yet!" P Guramatunhu


It is pleasing to see that the international elections observers are now in Zimbabwe and some are already “cutting their teeth”!
“International Observers Claim Zimbabwe Is Not Ready For Elections!” screamed the headlines in Zimeye.
No one who has been following the drama of Zimbabwe elections will be surprised by the headline. If anyone is serious about these elections being free, fair and credible; then yes, Zimbabwe is NOT ready for free and fair elections.
“Representatives of two international observer groups yesterday presented their pre-election assessment report to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), where they highlighted the need to urgently implement outstanding electoral reforms demanded by the opposition to guarantee credibility of next month’s general elections,” reported Zimeye.
“The delegation comprising of officials from the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) consists of former US congressman David Drier and former chairperson of the South African election commission, Brigalia Bam.

"In its key recommendations submitted to Zec chairperson Priscilla Chigumba, the two observer groups demanded that the military should publicly commit to recognise a winning presidential candidate, despite their political affiliation," we read.

What good would such the public commitment do? What is the good of closing the stable door when the horse has bolted? The observers have clearly not realised that the regime has already deployed 5 000 soldier who have been out campaigning for Zanu PF for the last six months. Their campaign message has been very simple: there will tears and gnashing of teeth if Zanu PF lose the elections!
There other very serious electoral problems too that cannot be fixed, not now. Zec has only managed to register 5.3 million voters out of a targeted 7 million and so nearly 25% of the would-be voters have been denied the vote. Zec has also failed to produce a verified voters’ roll for these elections although this is a constitutional requirement. These and many other voters’ roll problem emanate from the very late start of the voter registration exercise. This was deliberate!
There elections observers will soon discover that the whole election process is chaotic; everyone has 1001 tasks, many do not have a clue what it is they are doing but do it anyway, there is a lot happening but little of value is ever done. And yet, believe it or not, there is a method in all this madness; this is chaos with one purpose – to confuse everyone and rig the vote.
A crocodile fishing in broad day light in clear water will not catch any fish. The crocodile will thrash around to make the fish panic but, more importantly, to stir up the silt and muddy the water. It will then drift lazily with its jaws wide open. Neither the fish nor the crocodile can see the other in muddy water; the latter is counting on the fish blunder into its open jaws. The jaws will snap shut so fast the fish will never know what hit it.
The international observers must not pay too much attention to what the opposition politicians say; they are a confused and corrupt lot. The opposition have been warned not to take part in these elections without first implementing the democratic reforms designed to ensure the process is free, fair and credible. They have refused to listen because they do not care that the elections are rigged as long as they win the few seats Zanu PF gives away as bait.
The reason why Zanu PF has ignored all calls to implement the reforms is because the party has always known the opposition participate in the elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process got. The MDC Alliance spoke of the “red line” demands during their demonstration last week and yet made it clear they would take part in these elections even if none of the demands are met! What is the point of drawing the red line if it can be crossed with no consequences!
The bottom line is these elections should not have taken place without first implementing the wide ranging democratic reforms agreed at the onset of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. The MDC Alliance, Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, sold-out during the GNU; they failed to get even one reform implemented and have since lost all political credibility. The MDC leaders do not care that the elections are not free, fair and credible as long as they win a few of the gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away.
The international election observers must therefore disregard the attention seeking complains and platitudes from the opposition parties, no credible opposition politician would contest these flawed elections. The ordinary people of Zimbabwe want free and fair elections and it is their voices the world must listen to.
Can an election with no free public media, no verified voters’ roll, where the ruling elite rob the nation blind to bankroll their vote rigging schemes, etc., etc. be a free, fair and credible election? This is the question the ordinary people want the international election observers to answer.
It is great that the international election observers are on the ground and they can see the well organised chaos of Zimbabwe’s rigged elections. All one can say “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” as Bachman Turner Overdrive would say! For before their tour of duty is done they will know President Mnangagwa is not nicknamed “Ngwena” (Crocodile) for his good looks alone! They can ask Mr Big Shot and his shrew wife now holed up in their $4 billion Blue Roof mansion, they know exactly what I am talking about!

15 comments:

  1. @ Mukwirivindi

    It is a historic fact that MDC leaders sold-out big time on reforms and whilst Zanu PF's refusal to hold free and fair elections is punishing the corrupt and incompetent MDC leaders it is also punishing the millions of ordinary Zimbabweans whose lives are now a living hell.

    These observers will be missing the point completely if they only listened to these corrupt, incompetent and totally discredited opposition parties. No thinking Zimbabwean out there wanted these elections to go on without reforms but it is insane to keep hoping that we can win rigged elections!

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  2. MDC-T President Nelson Chamisa says that when his party gets into power none of his ministers will be allowed to seek medical treatment outside the country.
    Addressing an MDC Alliance rally in Masvingo on Friday Chamisa, said that this move will force his government to prioritise health delivery in the country.
    Nonsense, the fat cats will be paying themselves very generous salaries and allowance they will continue to have five star health-care at public expense. We all know how filthy rich MDC minister became during the GNU years. It was from these generous tax-free earnings that leaders like Mwonzora built his sprawling house, “hotel” as Job Sakala euphemistical called it. Tsvangirai got his $4 million Highlands mansion and Chamisa but his four low density suburb houses plus many other assets.
    If the minister cannot fly to SA or Singapore then the specialists will be flown into the country. If the mountain cannot come to Mohammad then Mohammad will go to the mountain.
    Chamisa and his MDC friends have already proven to be breathtakingly corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs; Zimbabweans will be very foolish to vote for this lot. Much as Zanu PF have proven to be corrupt, vote rigging and murderous tyrants still that is no excuse for voting for MDC.
    We must learn to think outside the box; if this political system give as the choice of Chamisa or Mnangagwa, MDC or Zanu PF, then we must reject both and the political system that gives us such a rotten choice. We have the choice of implementing the democratic reforms and replace this Zanu PF dictatorship with a health and functioning democratic system of government that will allow quality leaders to emerge!

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  3. Mutinhiri fired by NPF for frustrating coalition talk with Chamisa.

    Zanu PF is a party of ruthless thugs, "snakes", as Professor Moyo prefers to to call them and every leader has found it hard to keep the snakes happy for long as soon as they realise he has no mice, loot, to feed them.

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  4. These elections should not be going on in the first place because Zanu PF is set to rig the process. But even if MDC was to win, things will not change much because we already know MDC leaders are breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent.

    We must learn to think outside the box; this political system has given the choice of Chamisa or Mnangagwa, MDC or Zanu PF, then we must reject both and the political system that gives us such a rotten choice. We have the choice of implementing the democratic reforms and replace this Zanu PF dictatorship with a health and functioning democratic system of government that will allow quality leaders to emerge!

    The only way forward for Zimbabwe is these elections to be declared null and void so that the nation can finally implement the reforms and hold free and fair elections - the pre-requisite for democratic and competent government!

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  5. “President Mnangagwa needs to go beyond mere rhetoric and take genuine steps to level the playing field for all candidates and their parties,” said Dewa Mavhinga, the Southern Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “A key test will be whether state media give equal coverage and access to all political parties without bias or favour.”

    Does Mr Mavhinga really believe that even if Zanu PF was to allow equal coverage now, just two months before elections, will be enough to repair the damage inflicted by the over 38 years of bias and downright hostile public media coverage? The shallowness of the comments and demands from our Zimbabwe opposition and civic leaders has not held us back again and again; it is indicative of a nation that has no clue what constitutes free, fair and credible elections. Tyrants like Mugabe and now Mnangagwa have been quick to exploit this weakness for their own selfish gain.

    Zanu PF has completely failed to deliver a free and open public media for these elections, a key tenet for free, fair and credible elections; there is no if or but about it, this is crystal clear!

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  6. When the great Steve Wonder composed his hit "He is misstra know it all!" he had people like President Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe and the upstart Nelson Chamisa in mind.

    "He's a man with a plan Got a counterfeit dollar in his hand."

    The November 2017 plan we now know was the coup and for the counterfeit dollar we know he has the bond notes. He tried to entice the foreign investor to bring in real money with his "Zimbabwe is open for business!" with every intention of giving them the counterfeit notes in exchange.

    "Makes a deal with a smile Knowin' all the time that his lie's a mile"

    President Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections; he did not even hesitate for even one second in making that promised. The next minute he was dishing out the new twin cab trucks to Chiefs like confetti, down payment for their traditional role of making sure the rural people are frog marched to attend Zanu PF rallies and then to vote for the party when the time comes. He has flatly refused to implement even one reform to ensure free and fair elections. Meanwhile he continues to claim these elections are free, fair and credible with a straight face.

    "If he shakes on a bet He's the kind of dude that won't pay his debt!"

    When it comes to these elections he is clearly taking no chances, he is rigging the elections and hence the "organized chaos" and generously funded (with looted public resources, naturally).

    "If we had less of him Don't you know we'd have a better land!"

    Amen! Hallelujah! These flawed elections are a mockery of free, fair and credible elections and must be condemned with the contempt they rightly deserve!

    "Check his sound out He'll tell it all Hey you talk too much you worry me to death!"

    He must have been talking about the upstart Nelson Chamisa, wittering about bullet train and his SMART manifesto. The MDC village idiots failed to implement even one reform when they had the golden chance to do so during the GNU. Even the elections are rigged, which is a given since not even token reforms have been implemented, what good is having the smartest manifesto when not even one of the policies will ever be implemented!

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  7. The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) says the struggle to ensure the country was freed from white oppression will forever endear them to Zanu-PF.

    The Secretary-General of the association, Victor Matemadanda who was addressing members of the group in Mutare said those who fought for the country's liberation stand guided by the principle that led them to go and fight for Zimbabwe's liberation.

    In the 2008 and 2013 the war veterans did a lot more than just campaigned for Zanu PF no doubt they are now harvesting the fear the planted then!

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  8. With not even one reform in place it is impossible to see how anyone is going to ever claim these elections were free, fair and credible. MDC and the rest of the opposition should not be taking part in these flawed and illegal elections. They only reason they are doing so is greed, they are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF throws away as bait!

    Every thinking Zimbabwean should denounce these elections now and not participate and then cry wolf!

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  9. @ Art

    Do you really think any reforms can be implemented now? These people just do not want to admit these elections are being rigged and so keep kicking the can down the road. Well lets see how long they are going to do this because, now that the voting day has been decided, there will be no road beyond that!

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  10. @ Ambassador Philippe Van Damme

    "Only way to build confidence is transparency through open communication & dialogue with @ZECzim ; in my understanding @ZECzim agrees with traceability of ballot paper printing & deployment & with external audits. But modalities still need to be clarified with political parties," you twitted.

    There is no way these elections can be free, fair and credible without implementing the democratic reforms agreed at the onset of the 2008 GNU. The opposition parties, especially the MDC politicians, have been told they should not participate in these elections without reforms 100 000 times and 100 000 times again but refuse to listen. They have been calling for wishy-washy reforms to be implemented but only as feeble excuses to justify why they are taking part in the flawed and illegal elections. It is disappointing that you seem to have fallen into the opposition trap.

    What "confidence building" measure can anyone implement now that can possible stop Zanu PF rigging these elections?

    President Mnangagwa had the opportunity to implement the reforms when came into power in November last year. He choice to do nothing and hoped he could hoodwink the world. The horse has bolted, it is utterly pointless closing the door now. There is no way anyone can judge these elections free, fair and credible and we should stop wasting time and resources pretending anything can be done to salvage the situation!

    Many thinking Zimbabweans have made their position clear; these elections are flawed and illegal and they will have nothing with this charade! Nothing!

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  11. @ Leonard Koni

    "The ruling party is going to face one of its gruesome and greatest election challenge since independence. The coalescing of opposition political parties a brain child of the late Morgan Tsvangirayi has sent shivers to Zanu PF," you said.

    "A well organised grand coalition pact seems determined to change the face of politics in Zimbabwe and it has vowed to fight until the battle is won. Leaders from the revolutionary party are having sleepless nights as the Alliance keep focusing on the ball. Zanu-PF gravy train which has been running smoothly for the past 38 years is set to be derailed by a grand coalition of opposition parties and the parties are ganging up to remove it from power."

    You are right that Zanu PF leaders are indeed having sleepless nights but you are wrong to suggest that it is from because they fear losing to power to "a well organised grand coalition" of opposition parties. The MDC Alliance, such as it is is going to splinter and divide come 14 June when it emerges how many opposition candidate will be fight for the same seats regardless of the agreement to share the seats. A "well organised opposition"; what a truck load of bull!

    Zanu PF is having sleepless nights because the party is under increasing pressure to hold free, fair and credible elections. The party thought is would fudge it and get away with it but now it is clear that is not going to happen. President Mnangagwa's "Zimbabwe is open for business!" has failed to attract the flood of foreign investors as he had expected.

    Investors want to do business a politically stable nation, it was clear that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by thugs. Investor could see that last November's coup changed the dictator but did not end the dictatorship. By refusing to implement any meaningful democratic reforms, President Mnangagwa's confirmed Zimbabwe was indeed still a pariah state.

    With no foreign investors to help kick-start the economy, the country's economic looked grime. The grime economic future is forcing the international elections observers, especially SADC who will have to deal with the social, economic and political problems Zimbabwe's economic meltdown will bring, to deal with the problem of rigged elections decisively.

    The international community can see Zanu PF is rigging these elections and everyone is under pressure to condemn the process as null and void. If that happened, then Zanu PF will be forced to give up power and, this time, all the reforms will be implement and the party will not win the free and fair elections to follow. This is what is worrying Zanu PF leaders. As for the opposition, if anyone od them had any brain then they too should be worried sick because the will lose political credibility for having insisted in contesting flawed elections.

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  12. “Your followers will blame you for taking them through this election knowing that there were no reforms and that's why they were beaten. You'll lose credibility and we will agree with Zanu Pf that you are immature to lead the nation. Don't go for elections without reforms. If you get your followers Nikkuved, remember you're the one to shoulder the blame. If MDC does not win it this time, they are dead forever. Forever. Don't go into this election without reforms. You've been warned. Drop the ego. Open your eyes. Use your brains. Don’t get us through a predetermined election,” you have said.
    You have argued you case well and one hopes that Chamisa and his MDC friends have heard you and will take note. However, between you me and the brick wall, I do not think that Chamisa and company will ever listen to anyone on this matter. They know Zanu PF is rigging the elections; however they will still drag the nation into these elections as long as there is a chance of winning those few gravy train seats Zanu PF is offering as bait.
    The issue another rigged elections is of such great national importance and the consequences are so disastrous for us all that we, the people, can no longer be content with blaming MDC leaders. We have as much right to have a meaningful say in shaping the destiny of this nation as President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies and it is high time we took up that challenge and made sure our voices were heard loud and clear.
    These flawed and illegal elections should have never taken place, not until reforms were implemented and our right to free, fair and credible elections was restored and guaranteed. Whilst there is no stopping this theatrical charade of elections going ahead, we can make it very clear that we did not approve of these elections going ahead because we know Zanu PF is rigging the vote. We are therefore having nothing to do with these flawed and illegal elections. What we want now is for these elections to be declared null and void.

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  13. Chamisa hold rally in the dark.
    Is this a metaphor for the darkness of despair MDC has brought, for after nearly 20 years in politics the party has failed to bring about even one democratic change, the light, the nation has been dying for!

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  14. The MDC-T structures in most parts of the country have been turning against the MDC Alliance coalition agreement fronting candidates in constituencies reserved for other coalition partners resulting in fears that the Alliance might collapse before the elections.

    Both Ncube and Biti are into these Alliance because they feared that if they are not they will fail to win even one single seat! The two gentlemen must be really worried with all these developments.

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  15. “We need in the future to have committed people who have experience in projects of this nature, not these fly by night briefcase businessmen,” President Mnangagwa said before abruptly adding a reminder that “Chikurubi is not full”, a reference to the maximum security prison on the outskirts of Harare.

    Yes, Mr President Chikurubi is not full and we also know that the nation is full of very corrupt and filthy rich individuals, Chivayo is just one of them, who are flaunting their ill got wealth in terms of having huge mansions, fleet of posh cars, etc. They are walking scot free, they are the untouchable, because they know enough on to land many senior Zanu PF members in jail with them.

    The best insurance against prosecution for corrupt, is for the individual to collect as much data on the corrupt activities of as many of the rich and powerful as one can and then make sure the rich and powerful know you have enough of them to destroy them completely. Corrupt individual like Chivayo are the poison dart frog of the political world; they forage in broad daylight and will go out of their way to make sure they are seen because they are confident they will deliver a knockout punch to anyone foolish enough to touch them!

    Chivayo has his get out of jail card, you Mr President and many of you equally corrupt colleagues, if you ever send Chivayo to prison them you will be joining there in no time!

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