“A boycott from this month's harmonised elections as mooted by the MDC Alliance can only have an impact if it has the buy-in of all opposition parties,” argued Daily News.
“The Alliance is bitter that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) is not transparent in its approach to electoral issues, including the printing of ballot papers.
“If the MDC Alliance decides to boycott the poll, this will backfire spectacularly as other political parties will go ahead and contest, hence legitimising the process.”
“The Alliance is bitter that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) is not transparent in its approach to electoral issues, including the printing of ballot papers.
“If the MDC Alliance decides to boycott the poll, this will backfire spectacularly as other political parties will go ahead and contest, hence legitimising the process.”
Read that and it is immediately clear why Zimbabwe must be one of the “shit-hole countries”, USA President Donald Trump was talking about. In 38 years we have fallen from one of the top five richest countries in Africa to the poorest country in Africa. Unemployment has soared to dizzying heights of 90% and has been 80% plus for the last decade already. ¾ of our people now live on US$1.00 or less a day! Basic services like clean running water, health, etc. have all but collapsed.
What makes Zimbabwe’s rapid descend into this hell-hole so shocking and disappointing is that it is man-made. The filthy poor majority live cheek by jowl with the few filthy rich ruling elite who live in $4 billion Blue Roof mansions, have a fleet of expensive cars, have 45 gold watches, have multiple farms, multi-million dollar business interests, etc.
Before independence the country produced enough to feed its own people with plenty leftover to be the bread basket of the region. Today the country is dependent on imported food aid, too poor to pay for it. In the day and age when human ingenuity has turned deserts into green orchards we are starving in, for all intent and purposes, the Garden of Eden – a living testimonial of a nation blundering from pillar to post.
The Daily News article above, showed that here is a nation that cannot even see that two wrongs do not make a right, a kindergarten level intellectual challenge. There was no hope of the nation understanding the more complex and intricate matters of freedom, human rights, justice and commonwealth hence the blundering from pillar to post and the rapid descent into the shit-hole!
“If the MDC Alliance decides to boycott the poll, this will backfire spectacularly as other political parties will go ahead and contest, hence legitimising the process,” the Daily News argue.
This is just nonsense! The legitimacy or otherwise of these elections is not decided on the head count of how many political parties participated but on whether the process itself was free, fair and credible. The 2008 elections have become the benchmark because that year Zanu PF showed the world that the party’s blatant cheating and vote rigging and use of wanton violence has reached nauseating heights, it was impossible to see how one can hold free, fair and credible elections under such conditions.
Mugabe declared himself the winner of the 2008 elections, but no one grant him and his Zanu PF thugs the political legitimacy as the dually elected government. Not even SADC and the AU, known for turning a blind eye to Zanu PF rigging in the past, would pretend the 2008 elections were free and fair.
SADC leaders told Mugabe the only legitimate government they will recognise was a Government of National Unity (GNU) of Zanu PF and the two MDC factions. The GNU’s primary task was to implement a raft of democratic reforms designed to dismantle the Zanu PF one-party dictatorship and all its dictatorial powers including the carte blanche powers to rig elections. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends to whom the task of implementing the reforms fell, sold-out.
Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders’ the trappings of high office; a former white-owned farm for Welshman Ncube, $4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc. In return, the MDC leaders kicked reforms into the thicket of prickly pears!
When SADC leaders realised that no reforms had been implemented, they wanted the 2013 elections postponed. “If you go into next month’s elections, you will lose; the elections ARE DONE!” they told MDC leaders.
By ignoring SADC leaders’ advice and taking part in the 2013 elections with no reforms the MDC give the flawed and illegal process some modicum of credibility and legitimacy as David Coltart readily admitted in his 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 (2013) 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.”
SADC leaders were not interested in getting every opposition politician to boycott the elections, it is not the head count that mattered, but when they failed to get even one Zimbabwean opposition party to public support the boycott they were forced to allow the flawed election result stand.
The reason the MDC factions contest the elections in total disregard of the SADC leaders’ warning is greed. It was greed that had made Tsvangirai et al kick the reforms into the prickly pear thicket and it was the same greed that drove them to take part in the flawed 2013 elections and now this year’s equally flawed elections.
“The MDC Alliance will have to work hard so as to convince its members to also boycott the election; something which will be very difficult. It has also not invested in regional diplomacy and advocacy, hence will have very few backers if they pull out,” continued Daily News.
Hogwash! MDC members and the Zimbabwe electorate at large agreed to participate in the 2013 elections only because MDC leaders had repeatedly assured them the elections will be free, fair and credible. The penny dropped, in some few head at least, when Zanu PF blatantly rigged the elections! A significant number of Zimbabweans are not taking part in this year’s elections because they can see the futility of hoping to win rigged elections.
Why would SADC leaders need convincing of the need to implement reforms before holding elections when they are on public record arguing the same thing in 2013?
“We hope Chigumba will be able to uphold her constitutional duty to deliver a free, fair and credible election in which the MDC Alliance participates,” said the Daily News.
The writer has no clue what he/she is writing about! The unreformed ZEC is, in all but name, a department in Zanu PF there to deliver the party’s no regime change mantra. How anyone can still hope that the same ZEC will also deliver free and fair elections only goes to show how confused they are.
The Daily News article was titled: “MDC Alliance election boycott will be suicidal”. Actually, MDC leaders committed collective kamikaze when they forgot about the reforms because they had their snouts in the gravy train feeding troughs. When it emerged that they had failed to implement even one reform in five years MDC lost all political credibility and it has been rapid descend into chaos and hell from there on.
By contesting flawed and illegal elections MDC are giving the process credibility; a second wrong compounding the first wrong of MDC failing to implement the reforms during the GNU. Ask yourself: If you were Zanu PF desperate to hang on to power, would you ever implement any reforms if you are guaranteed that the opposition will always participate no matter how flawed and illegal the process happen to be? You will be stupid to do so; Mnangagwa and his junta friends are ignorant, corrupt and, yes even stupid but not that stupid to risk losing power by holding free and fair elections.
Indeed, by participating in flawed elections, so flawed “the elections ARE DONE” long before even the first ballot is cast, MDC are helping Zanu PF extend its autocratic rule and the nation stuck in the shit-hole the regime has landed us in.
Zimbabwe’s hope of ever getting out of this shit-hole now rests with the international election observers. If they ignore the foolish notion that the legitimacy of these elections depends of the head count of how many political parties took part and focus on process; then there is no way such a flawed and illegal process can ever be judged to be free, fair and credible. Condemning these elections will give Zimbabwe a chance to revisit and implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed at the onset of 2008 GNU.
Only a health and functional democratic system of government complete with freedom of expression and a free media will end the Zanu PF dictatorship and allow the people to think for themselves. We must end the kindergarten foolishness of risking the nation's destiny on winning a rigged elections, even after 38 years of repeated failures!
There is no chance of Zanu PF rigging the vote and losing the elections as the 2008 elections have already proven. This is exactly the reason why SADC leaders asked the GNU to implement the raft of democratic reforms and wanted the 2013 elections postponed when no reforms were in place.
ReplyDeleteWhat did the nation gain by participating in the 2013 elections with no reforms? Nothing! By participating we gave the flawed and illegal process legitimacy and thus forfeit our chance of forcing through the reforms. It is the madness of believing that by participating one is changing something when in reality they are perpetuating the very system they are seeking to end.
MDC leaders committed collective hara-kiri when they failed to implement even one democratic reform during the five years of GNU because they were too busy gorging themselves on spoils of power on the gravy train. MDC lost all political credibility then, the only reasons they still command some political following in the country is because MDC supporters are some of the most naïve and gullible electorate on the planet. They have no idea what the GNU was about even now with the benefit of hindsight much less know that their MDC leaders sold-out big time!
By continue to contest in these flawed elections people are giving the flawed process credibility and thus help perpetuate the vote rigging. How anyone can then call stopping this act of insanity suicidal beggars belief! It only goes to show just how shallow thick and slow the writer is.
Thinking in a calm, systematic and logical way has never been our forte; more often than not, we seem to make our rushed decisions based on very little factual information or nothing at all. It is therefore little wonder we have blundered from pillar to post these last 38 eyes and are today up to our eyes in this shit-hole. And, which is worse, we still fail to see what mess we are in.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the SADC leaders we should not bother holding elections without first implementing the democratic reforms designed to stop the vote rigging. After the 2008 elections there can be no doubt that Zanu PF will not lose an election the party has unlimited powers to rig.
It is insane to keep contesting an election whose result is pre-determined. To argue that boycott such an election is suicidal is just another feeble excuse to justify one's insanity.
The presence of the international election observers is probably the best to ever happen in Zimbabwe. Given Zanu PF's arrogance and MDC's foolishness one gets the feeling the country was going to remain stuck in the current rut of holding meaningless elections for many, many years to come. I expect the international community to declare these flawed elections null and void and thus push the nation into implementing the reforms.
What Zimbabwe needs is a chance to reset its political system replace the stiflingly oppressive autocratic system with its leaders who claim to know it all but are just empty drums making a lot of noise with a healthy and open democratic system of government.
@ Sarah
ReplyDeleteIf Chamisa could be persuaded by wisdom then the SADC leaders would have done so during the GNU and we would not be in this mess!
You want Chamisa to take part in these elections just to give the process some credibility and your "We will be happy to pick the extra seats" is reverse psychology. Your beef is with Wilbert for highlighting the folly of contesting flawed elections. If the international community declare these elections null and void then you and your ED are well an truly fcuk! No wonder you are fuming at Wilbert.
Knowing Wilbert as I do, he knows these elections are flawed and will be driving the message home to have them declared null and void. He will not rest. You can try shutting him up but I have a feeling you will fail! You must be wishing you could bribe him, with a mansion or generous sum of money. You and your Chibuku House handlers are well and truly fcuked alright!
@ T Ncube
ReplyDeleteHowever much ED may wish to be different from Mugabe they two are two sides of the same coin when it comes in believing they are God's blessing to Zimbabwe! Worst of all, they will not allow us ordinary mortals to have a meaningful say on whether we agree with him or not; he will ram it down our throats the same way he rammed Mugabe's presidency down the nation's throat for 37 years.
After 38 years of corrupt and tyrannical rule with the disastrous consequences we can all see around us how can someone seeking to impose the same autocracy or be it with a new face be the right man for Zimbabwe?
The biggest mistake the people of Zimbabwe can make right now is to believe for one minute that these are free, fair and credible elections; they are not. Mnangagwa is rigging these elections and we should not provide him with the smoke screen by participating. We must demand that these flawed elections must be declared null and void. The only good leader for Zimbabwe right now must come out of a truly free, fair and credible election!
This is the same Zanu PF that has turned Zimbabwe into the poorest nation in Africa! President Mnangagwa you have promised free, fair and credible elections if you fail to deliver that then why should the nation believe you can get the nation out of the economic mess you and Mugabe dragged us into in the first place!
ReplyDeleteThere reports there was violence at Mnangagwa's rally. There vedio of soldiers stopping people leaving the rally.
ReplyDeleteWell, well!
The biggest mistake many people are making right now is to believe that they have a vote when in fact they do not! There is no free public media, no clean and verified voters' roll, Zanu PF has billions of dollars looted from the nation to bankroll its vote buying and rigging schemes, etc. These are not free, fair and credible elections and by participating people are giving the flawed process credibility.
Those who take part in these flawed elections knowing the process is flawed cannot complain that the elections were rigged!
@ Sarah
ReplyDeleteAfter the November coup, President Mnangagwa was desperate to be seen as keen to return to legitimacy a.s.a.p. and so he promised to hold free, fair and credible elections. Now he is being asked to deliver on that promise.
He thought he could rig the elections and get away with it, now he is learning otherwise. We all know that these elections are not free and fair. We also know that the international community has been very clear that they wanted free and fair elections.
Ordinary Zimbabweans have cries for justice and the regime has ignored them. Now that the international community have heard the voices of the voiceless let us see if Zanu PF can ignore both the masses and the international community.
You are laughing now but let us see if you will still be laughing after these elections are ruled null and void! Charge is in the air, regime change is in the air!
@Munya Shonhai
ReplyDeleteWhat you are displaying here is how naïve and gullible you are; the very qualities tyrant actively cultivate in the electorate with all their army of propagandist and apologists. You are one of the many that has been totally brainwashed, there is no working brain cell in your head; it is all fatty tissue!
"Zimbabwe is not yet a democracy but learning to become one; it cannot become a full blown democratic state overnight," you say.
We have is a regime that has systematically undermine and corrupted the country's institutions such as ZEC, Police, Army, etc. so that they help the regime delivery its no regime change mantra. The vote rigging has got worse and worse as time went along in response to the nation's growing need for regime change building up to a crescendo of the madness of the 2008 elections when Zanu PF "declared war of the people", as Morgan Tsvangirai said in announcing his forced withdrawal from that year's race.
Only a first-class moron would describe Zimbabwe's descend into hell as a progress! What we are talking about here is implementing the democratic reforms designed to take away Zanu PF carte blanche powers and end the madness. What you are giving is another feeble excuse why the reforms have not been implemented.
"It is possible for the observers to declare the elections credible without all these other reforms which may take quite some time," you say.
You clearly have no idea what the reforms are much less why we need them. The reforms are there to ensure the state institution are freed of the omnipresent Zanu PF dictatorial controls, so they perform their set duties professionally, independently and without fear or favour. Only a truly professional and independent ZEC will produce a clean and verified voters' roll, for example. To suggest that there can be free, fair and credible elections without a clean and verified voters' roll is an oxymoron only a moron would say.
Thank God, the international elections observers are not morons and they know the onions; they know it is nonsensical to have free and fair elections without a clean and verified voters' roll, for example.
SADC thought by giving a thumbs-up to another Zanu PF rigged elections in 2013, they would be able to walk away. The economic chaos has got worse and then came the November 2017 military coup, only seasons thugs would stage a coup and have the cheek of pretending it was legal. The bomb two weeks ago reminded Mnangagwa that there is still some unfinished Zanu PF business! By rigging this year's elections Mnangagwa is proving to the world that Zimbabwe is still a pariah state ruled by thugs. In short, Zimbabwe is still an unstable country drifting deeper and deeper into the abyss and, worse still, will drag the whole region with her.
SADC leaders, especially SA and Botswana, know declaring these flawed elections null and void will offer the region another golden opportunity to save Zimbabwe and the region from going over the edge!
@ JJ
ReplyDeleteYes let us wait but whilst we wait we must make sure there is clear water between the MDC mob and ourselves. Whilst Chamisa and the wildebeest herd are going into these elections convinced they will win rigged elections and will only admit the elections are flawed after the deed. We KNOW these elections are flawed and illegal and denounce the whole process here and now!
Even if MDC was to win these elections because the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut failed to go much higher than third gear - for one thing Zanu PF has not be able to use the Police and CIO as normal in its vote rigging activities because these two were mainly loyal to Mugabe and G40 faction - these elections must be condemned because elections with no free public media, no clean and verified voters' roll, etc. cannot be free and fair.
We can be certain that MDC will not implement any reforms, it is not in the incumbent regime's interest to implement reforms, and so next elections will be once again disputed. We want to deal with this scourge of rigged elections here and now.
The Government also agreed to hike salaries for the rest of civil servants by 17,5 percent effective this month, following protracted negotiations with civil servants representative in May
ReplyDeleteHere we go!