ZEC has launched the Multi-party Liaison Committees with the
usual fun fare but readily acknowledge they toothless guard dogs!
“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has intensified its
preparations for the 2018 Harmonised Elections,” said the ZEC statement.
“In a bid to resolve conflicts the Commission has set up
Multi-party Liaison Committees (MPLC) countrywide. These Committees shall work
for the good of all stakeholders, especially political parties in the run-up to
elections as intra-party and inter-party conflicts inevitably happen during
this period. Of importance to note is the function of the Committees meant to
bring peace and harmony in communities.
“These Committees have no
legal basis (my emphasis) to usurp the powers of the Commission but
enable the Commission to act as a referee in conflict resolution efforts.”
These committees are being asked to help keep the peace and yet they have no legal powers and authority to investigate, arrest, detain, charge, and bring before a court of law anyone disturbing the peace. Indeed, not even a report from anyone of these MPLCs is even the paper it is written on!
These committees are being asked to help keep the peace and yet they have no legal powers and authority to investigate, arrest, detain, charge, and bring before a court of law anyone disturbing the peace. Indeed, not even a report from anyone of these MPLCs is even the paper it is written on!
So, why do we need political parties to first sign this
Peace Pledge and now have all these MPLCs?
Simple! President Mnangagwa and his junta do not want to
give up any of their dictatorial powers and so instead on implementing the far-reaching
democratic reforms that would restore the Police’s power to keep the peace the
regime is settling for Peace Pledge, etc. - a fig-leaf.
For all his post November coup posturing as the peace-maker
and promising to hold free, fair and credible elections; President Emerson Mnangagwa
has no intention of giving up even one of Zanu PF’s multi-faceted carte blanche
dictatorial powers including the powers to rig elections.
Of all the politicians, President Mnangagwa knows what a
useful and effective option violence has been in Zanu PF’s vote rigging
schemes. However, this year he has clearly decided to take off his boot off the
violence pedal for one very good; he is not 100% confident that the Police and
CIO will play their traditional supportive role of turning a blind eye to Zanu
PF inspired violence much less join in the harassment and lawless thuggery. It
is no secret that most Police and CIO officers supported G40 faction and not
Mnangagwa’s Lacoste faction.
President Mnangagwa has not implemented any of the
democratic reforms to restore independence and powers of these two the Police
and CIO, at least. He certainly does not want them nosing around his other vote
rigging activities.
No opposition politician worth his salt would even bother
sign the Peace Pledge much less have anything to do with these utterly useless
MPLCs. If they are ever caught up in any politically motivated violence, then
they must report the incident to the Police and insist in getting the report
number and as much other related details. The Zimbabwe Republic Police are a
legal entity, with the legal obligation to keep the peace, law and order in
Zimbabwe and, per se, can be sued for dereliction of duty if they fail to do
so. MPLCs are just groups of egotistic busy bodies with no legal body to be
kicked or soul to be damned!
The real tragedy here is that Zimbabwe is in a serious
economic mess; with unemployment a dizzying 90%, ¾ of the population are now
living on US$1.00 or less a day, etc.; are the only way out is for the country
to have a competent government. So instead of President Mnangagwa implementing
the democratic reforms and hold free, fair and credible elections – the pre-requisite
for competent and accountable government – he is wasting time on these MPLC political
gimmicks to hide his vote rigging activities.
These elections should not be taking place without first
implementing the democratic reform; they are not going to be free, fair and
credible and must therefore be declared null and void. Zimbabwe must then
revisit the raft of democratic reforms agreed in 2008 and make sure they are
implemented this time.
Zimbabwe has been dying for good and competent government to
get out of this hell-hole we have been stuck in for the last 38 years. All we
must do to get out is to implement the democratic reforms and the rest will
fall into place.
So Chamisa is asking for the syllabus now a few weeks before the exams, the elections when he has ignored this very point for the last ten years. During the GNU MDC had the opportunity to set the syllabus but failed to do so. SADC warned MDC of the dangers of going into the 2013 election without reforms but MDC would not listen.
ReplyDeleteMDC have participated in these flawed and illegal elections because they were after the few seats Zanu PF has offered as bait.
“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 David Coltart in his book.
“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.”
MDC leaders are corrupt and incompetent and they sold-out big time during the GNU by failing to implement even one democratic reform. If MDC want to boycott these elections now it is because they now know they will not win even those few gravy train seats they were after.
The ZDF's independence and political neutrality, like that of the Police, CIO, ZEC, etc., have been compromised a long time ago. Senior Army officials including Zvinavashe and now VP Chiwenga, have publicly declared that they would not "salute anyone with no liberation war credentials".
ReplyDeleteThe Army played a pivotal role in the 2008 and 2013 elections with leading Army officers like Engelbert Rugeje made no secret that mission was to punish civilians who dared to support the opposition.
Only eight months ago the ZDF had its historic press conference followed by the coup a few days later; please tell us which chapter and verse of the constitution allows such a treasonous act?
The coup was to wrestle power from Mugabe who was going to take it away from Mnangagwa and his Join Operation Command buddies, the junta that had ruled Zimbabwe for decades. Mugabe was booting the junta out and giving power to his wife and her G40 friends. Anyone who believes that the junta had risked life and limb to seize power in the coup will now risk losing it in a free, fair and credible election, is naïve!
The Army has been deployed to ensure Zanu PF victory in the past, why would it not do the same again this year?
For the ZDF to now issue a press statement claiming the Army is independent and politically neutral and respects the country's laws is an insult to all thinking Zimbabweans. Until we implement the democratic reforms designed to severe the undemocratic controls Zanu PF has over the Army, ZDF will always remain a department in Zanu PF, doing the party's bidding.
Chamisa is participating in these elections knowing that the process is flawed and illegal since no meaningful reforms have been implement. He will accept the elections are free and fair if he wins but will reject the result if he lose. Of course, that is nonsensical, he has had the opportunity to make sure the playing field is level he has chosen to do nothing about these irregularities. He cannot complain of these irregularities afterwards.
ReplyDelete"The RBZ dismisses the false article on the reintroduction of the local currency with the contempt it deserves. Members of the public should ignore the social media article which has apparently been created and circulated by people who seem bent on manipulating parallel market rates for personal gain at the expense of the unsuspecting members of the public," said Mangudya.
ReplyDelete"The article is also calculated to cause unnecessary anxiety, panic, alarm and despondency within the national economy. The country will continue using the multi-currency system in line with government policy and the bank shall continue to procure cash in foreign currency to support the multicurrency system."
This is nonsense, Zimbabwe is already using its own local currency - the bond note. Calling it bond note instead of Z$ does not make much difference! There is no doubt that the country will abolish the multi-currency system in favour of using the local currency one of these fine days.
Said Majongwe, "Am told the ED gvt is flushing out CIOs planted teachers from Schools. This is a very positive move. Teachers are mere prisoners. These CIOs cause trauma and suffering."
ReplyDeleteWhen Didymus Mutasa was Zanu PF Minister of State Security, he once boasted that the party knew everything about everybody because there were "CIOs everywhere!" He was only confirming that Zimbabwe was a Police State, something most people were aware of.
What Raymond Majongwe should know is that most of the Police and CIO personal supported the G40 faction of Zanu PF and ED has been purging these two organs to rid them of Mugabe supporters and replacing them with his own supporters. So, ED is not flushing CIOs planted teachers because they have "caused trauma and suffering", as Majongwe calls it, but for his own selfish purpose. The trauma and suffering will continue!
Chamisa, who was in a very belligerent mood as temperatures rise as elections draw nearer, said MDC Alliance is almost at the point where it will call for SADC to take over the election, as ZEC has failed to comply with legal requirements.
ReplyDeleteHe said the MDC Alliance will now go on a diplomatic offensive in the region to increase pressure on Mnangagwa to hold a free election.
Said Gutu, "ZEC has the constitutional mandate to run elections in Zimbabwe. Anyone who dreams that SADC and the AU will come to run elections in Zimbabwe is obviously out of their mind, they would have taken leave of their senses."
SADC leaders have said elections should be postponed to allow reforms to be implemented and it was none other than MDC leaders themselves who have refused to listen and wanted the elections to go ahead with no reforms. We do not need SADC to take over ZEC's work, all we need is implement the reforms to give ZEC, Army, Police and all the other state institutions their independence and restore their political neutrality.
These elections should not be taking place, not without the reforms in place, because Zanu PF will rig the elections just as they have done countless times in the past. The only way forward is for the flawed elections to be declared null and void!
As for Chamisa, Gutu and the rest of the MDC leaders; Zimbabwe would not be in this mess if they had not sold-out and implemented the reforms during the GNU. All they are doing now is to seek political relevance; ignore them.
I do not think any of the international election observers will have any doubt still that Chamisa and company are some of the most incompetent politicians on earth. "Zimbabwe is ready for the fulfilment of the message of change that the MDC has been preaching for a long time," Chamisa said. Every observer must know by now that it was none other than Chamisa and his fellow MDC friends who had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during in the GNU. They failed to get even one reform in place in five years!
ReplyDeleteThese elections should not be taking place, not without the reforms in place; because Zanu PF will rig the elections just as they have done on countless other occasions in the past. The only way forward is for the flawed elections to be declared null and void!
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ReplyDelete@ Zim Resident
ReplyDeleteSADC, the American and many, many ordinary Zimbabwe have been calling for the implementing of the democratic reforms to ensure free and fair elections. It is Chamisa and company who have made it clear they will take part in these elections even if the playing field was not level confident they will win rigged elections.
It is childish, to say the least to complain about ZEC failing to produce a clean and verified voters' roll now, for example, when it was clear this would happen when BVR was delayed beyond the cut-off date. There was no way ZEC, even with the best will in the world, was going to register 7 million and produce a clean and verified voters' roll on time for the 14 June 2018 nomination day when BVR started 14 September 2017. No way!
Chamisa et al has ignored all the warning not to take part in the elections without reforms because MDC "has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections," Chamisa has often said. The stringent measures did not work in 2013 and it is the ordinary Zimbabweans who have paid dearly for it. Of course, it is totally irresponsible of the MDC to be dragging the nation into yet another flawed election on the basis the party's stringent measures will work!
It is intolerable and disconcerting that MDC should be complaining about Zanu PF rigging the elections, sign the stringent measures are not working, now when it is too late to stop the elections.
The international community must be fed up with the MDC's political posturing and childish behaviour. They can see for themselves that these elections are not free, fair and credible and will judge them accordingly regardless what the corrupt and incompetent and attention seeking MDC says or does.
These elections would not be taking place without the reforms if MDC leaders had not sold-out during the GNU by failing to implement even one reform.
If these elections are declared null and void, then Zimbabwe will be asked to revisit the 2008 reforms and get them implemented.
@ Musa
ReplyDeleteChamisa was warned that without implementing the reforms Zanu PF will rig these elections. He refused to listen arguing MDC has "stringent measure to stop Zanu PF rigging the vote!" Is he now admitting that his stringent measures did not work? Chamisa was being childish when he refused to listen and if he thinks SADC or anyone is going to lift a finger this late he clearly has learned nothing.
These elections are going ahead, with or without MDC Alliance.
The international community can see these elections are being rigged and they will condemn MDC for foolishly dragging the nation into this mess. Nero and company have just lost whatever little political credibility they had left after the GNU when they failing to implement even one reform.
The international election observers will condemn these flawed and illegal elections and reiterate SADC leaders' 2013 advice that Zimbabwe must implement the 2008 raft of reforms BEFORE holding elections.
@ Mukwirivindi
ReplyDeleteYes, Chamisa has been childish and it was his refusal to listen not to have the elections until reforms are implemented that got the nation into this mess. Still, we must not forget that it is the ordinary Zimbabweans who will pay dearly for another rigged election. With unemployment at 90%, 3/4 of the population living on US$1.00 a day, etc. the nation cannot afford another five years of Zanu PF misrule.
This is a wake-up call for all Zimbabweans who were participating in these flawed and illegal elections because they believed Chamisa's nonsense of "MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!" The idiot is now admitting that MDC's stringent measures are not working and leaving all those who had believed him looking decidedly foolish. The only logical course of action now is to have nothing to do with this flawed and illegal process and say so loudly.
The international election observers can see the whole process is flawed and the more Zimbabweans themselves denounce the process the easier it will be for the observers to condemn these elections. Declaring these elections null and void will allow the nation to revisit the raft of reforms agreed in 2008 and have them finally implemented!
"The Zimbabwe Defence Forces has no direct role in the upcoming elections," said army spokesperson Overson Mugwisi at a media conference in Harare ahead of the presidential, parliamentary and local polls later this month.
ReplyDelete"We are disturbed by false reports alleging that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces is going to be used by (the ruling) Zanu-PF to rig the posted vote."
The Army, Police and CIO have been deployed to campaign for Zanu PF in the past, particularly in 2008 and 2013 and so for the Army to now claim that it is innocent is a lie! The idea that the Army is as innocent as a rose is laughable.
This idea of trying to reform Zimbabwe piece-meal is just another foolish notion the nation has come to expect from our inapt opposition. If we are serious about moving Zimbabwe out of this hell-hole then we must bite the bullet and implement all the democratic reforms. We must stop wasting time, energy and treasure on such gimmicks as the Peace Pledge or asking clowns like Mugwisi pretending they are reassuring the nation with blatant lies.
President Mnangagwa and his junta promised to hold free, fair and credible elections, we all know they have failed to deliver on that promise and we must use that as the stepping stone to finally dismantle this corrupt and oppressive dictatorship Zanu PF imposed on the nation. If there was ever a time for the nation to be firm and decisive then it is now. History will not judge us kindly if we let this golden opportunity slip through our fingers.
What is annoying here is that whilst many people, notably the Americans, ordinary Zimbabweans and SADC leaders, have argued over and over again that the elections should not go ahead without first implementing the democratic reforms necessary for free and fair elections; it has been MDC leaders who have pushed hard for the elections to go ahead with no reforms. Even when MDC leaders have said "No reform, no elections!" they have always made it clear that they will not boycott the elections. Zanu PF has taken that to mean MDC were not serious about reforms and so have never bothered to implement even one reform.
ReplyDeleteIt was former USA Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Chris Dell, who said in a leaked cable to Washington that Tsvangirai was "a flawed and indecisive character". It turned out that he was not the only flawed and indecisive character in MDC , the rest of the leadership is and the nation has paid dearly for it. MDC leaders have been stuck in rut; they believe they can win rigged elections and yet time and time again they have failed to do so. Their misplaced ego will not allow them to admit they have failed and so they will keep on trying!
Chamisa is being overwhelmed by the mountain of evidence showing Zanu PF is rigging these elections and his greatest fight is with himself; he is being forced to accept that he has once again failed to win rigged elections!
MDC's failure to make the right decision over something as mundane and simple as accepting the need to implement the reforms to ensure free and fair elections have allowed the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF to remain in office with disastrous consequences we can see.
The people of Zimbabwe must now realise that they need to reject the corrupt, incompetent and indecisive MDC is today the pre-requisite to bring about meaningful political change. Chamisa and company will never bring about any meaningful political change because instead of pursuing the reforms, reality, they have pursuing winning rigged elections, a mirage. After 20 years of MDC wasting the nation's time and opportunities; it is for people themselves to stop following these fools.