Wednesday, 31 October 2018

"Masiyiwa calls for removal of sanctions who dare contradict" - I dare, here he is hopeless wrong P Guramatunhu


In augmenting Masiyiwa’s sentiments Obert Gutu tweeted:”Now when a whole billionaire like Strive Masiyiwa calls for the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe, iwe zvako Mupurwa…iwezvako Zuze… (you lizard … you nobody) you still clamour that sanctions shouldn’t be removed! Who does that?”

I, Patrick Gachidzai Guramatunhu, do call for sanctions to remain! 

“The political change in Zimbabwe is real,President Mnangagwa is sincere, sanctions must go, politicking must stop and let’s focus on rebuilding the country,” said Masiyiwa.

Zimbabwe is still a pariah state as President Mnangagwa himself has so graphically proven to be so by blatantly rigging the elections. Zimbabwe is still ruled by the same corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs who ruled the roost before the November 2017 military coup; or be it the dictatorship has a new top dog and one or two other musical chair changes. 

The Americans made it very clear that the sanctions will be lifted if Zanu PF held free, fair and credible elections. This did not happen and so the sanctions must stay and rightly so too!

If Masiyiwa thinks there can ever be any meaningful economic recovery whilst Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by incompetent, corrupt and vote rigging thugs then he is more naive and stupid than he looks. He has failed to understand why investors have shied away from investing in Zimbabwe these last 20 years and will continue to do so until there is real political change in the country. 

Even the Chinese are not investing in Zimbabwe and have not done so for the last 20 years for the same reason; no one wants to do business in a pariah state ruled by corrupt and wasteful thugs. 

Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is the product of 38 years of wasted resources and opportunities due to gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and the lawlessness that has made it near impossible for honest business activities to operate. Ordinarily, the people would have stop the wastefulness long before it got out of hand by forcing those in power to address the mismanagement, corruption, etc. and electing new leaders. Zanu PF has rigged elections making the regime unaccountable to the people. 

Zimbabwe’s economic recovery will never happen, not as long as the corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging Zanu PF regime remains in power. It is disappointing that someone like Strive Masiyiwa would be so naive and stupid to think anything of substance can ever be accomplished whilst Zimbabwe remains a pariah state. 

The only realistic hope of Zimbabwe ending this curse of pariah state is for the country to hold free, fair and credible elections. But for that to happen, we must first implement the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. (The same reform Obert Gutu and the rest of the MDC leaders failed to implemented in five years of the 2008 GNU.) 

Since Zanu PF will never implement any reforms, we have no choice but to force the regime to step down to allow the appointment of an interim administration that will implement the reforms. Zanu PF rigged the 30 July 2018 elections and, per se, have no mandate to govern and must step down. 

The sanction against the regime is the added pressure for the regime to step down and therefore only a village idiot would want them lifted. 

Mr. Obert Gutu is desperate for some political limelight, the very poor performance of the Ms Khupe led MDC faction of which he is the deputy, has left Gutu desperate for some political relevance. Mr Gutu even “a whole billionaire Masiyiwa” can be hopelessly wrong. No Gutu, it you are the Mupurwa, who sell-out on reforms and who believe the rich know everything!

Tuesday, 30 October 2018

"Mnangagwa is sincere" says Masiyiwa - was he, when he rigged elections, shot dead protestors N Garikai


“Concerning the change taking place in Zimbabwe, I believe it is real. I believe President Mnangagwa is sincere,” said Strive Masiyiwa on CNBC Africa.
“Zimbabwe needs to be given a chance. The sanctions should be removed, there is no justifications for them any more. I have always been on record to say the sanctions are not justified. You cannot have one country operating with its hands tied behind its back!”
As Zimbabweans, there are somethings we can agree to differ on but there are others that are basic and fundamental truths that to question them is sacrilege. Zanu PF is a party of ruthless thugs who have systematically denied the ordinary Zimbabweans their freedoms and basic human rights including their right to an meaningful say in the governance of the country and even the right to life itself! 
We are talking of Zanu PF, a party that has destroyed the nation’s economy because of 38 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption forcing 75% of our people to live in abject poverty. Mr Masiyiwa, over 10 million of Zimbabwe 14 million population are living on US$1.00 or less a day! 
We are talking about a party, Zanu PF, whose appetite for power and wealth is insatiable. Ever since the party got into power in 1980, it has corrupted the nation’s state institutions, cheated elections, harassed, beaten, raped and even murdered innocent Zimbabweans to establish and retain a de facto one party dictatorship. 
The party has murdered over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans in its 38 years reign of terror. 
President Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections only to blatantly rig the 30 July 2018 elections - just as he has done countless time as Mugabe’s Chief Enforcer. He had seven protestors shot dead on 1st August followed by weeks in which Zanu PF opponents were roughed up; just to remind us all that he and his junta will not hesitate to shed fresh blood to retain their iron grip on power. 
Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is back in ICU, the country facing serious shortages of food, fuel, medicine, foreign currency, etc. The shortages were triggered by President Mnangagwa’s reckless spending buying new cars for Chiefs and party officials, on chartered planes, on vote rigging and vote buying schemes, etc.
Zimbabwe needs a large injection of investment and financial assistance to kick-start its comatose economy. Sadly, the country is not going to get any such leg-up because no investors will do business in a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs.
The Americans made is very clear that the targeted sanctions would be lifted if Zanu PF held free, fair and credible elections. The party rigged the 30 July 2018 elections and so it is nonsensical to call for the sanctions to be lifted!
President Mnangagwa is a corrupt, vote rigging and ruthless thug. And as long as the nation remains under this tyranny our people will continue suffer in abject poverty denied of all their rights, hope and human dignity. 
“President Mnangagwa is sincere!” The tyrant staged the November 2017 military coup, went on to blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections and right it is clear has failed to rig economic recovery but will hold on to power to the bitter end. Sincere! What is so sincere about a vote rigging thug holding the whole nation to ransom!!!  

"Zimbabwe is one of the poorest nations" says IMF - our prize for being mental couch potato W Mukori


Mankind is a creature of reason, it is our ability to think that have made us the most dominant creature on earth. 

But just as having feathers is the common characteristic that has enabled birds to fly; it is common knowledge that not all birds have the same mastery of the air. So too with the human brain; not all humans have the same mastery of thinking. The individual, groups, nations, etc. who have shown to be marginally more rational, systematic, etc. had the edge over the competition and fared better. 

It is said that the couch potato is more fat than muscle because muscle tissue, if not exercised, atrophies to fat. Brain tissue may not atrophies to fat, still there is no doubt that an unexercised brain is not as quick, dexterous and capacious as a well exercised one! 

“International Monetary Fund’s most recent edition of the World Economic Outlook indicates that Zimbabwe is one of the poorest countries in the world,” wrote Steve H. Hanke, Professor of applied economics at The Johns Hopkins University, in an article in Spotlight Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabwe’s collapse shows up in every international rating of the economy. In the World Bank’s Doing Business 2018 index, Zimbabwe ranks 159 out of 190; in the Cato Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World listing for 2018, Zimbabwe is 127 out of 162; in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2018, Zimbabwe ranks 128 out of 140.”

Yet 38 years ago, Zimbabwe was a middle-income country with the potential to be the South Korea of Africa. What happened? 

“We have had the great misfortune of being stuck with an incompetent, corrupt and murderous Zanu PF dictatorship that rigged elections to stay in power against the people’s democratic will!” is the standard answer to that question. 

But that has to be the lazy-minded’s answer because it provokes the follow-up question: why was the nation stuck with the Zanu PF dictatorship for 38 years? 

Whenever the devil and his imps closes the door to imprison mankind; the Lord always opens a window. It is inconceivable that in the last 38 years, the Lord has failed to open the window to allow the people of Zimbabwe to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. 

There have been many golden opportunities for the people of Zimbabwe to end the de facto one-party dictatorship but they have all been wasted. During the 2008 to 2013 GNU the nation had the “get out of jail” card and failed to use it.

SADC forced Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs to agree to the implementation of a raft of democratic reforms design to dismantle the dictatorship. All Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were tasked to do was implement the reforms. They failed to get even one reform implemented in five years. 

To blame the corrupt and incompetent MDC leaders for why the country has been stuck with the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship will a partial answer because it too beggars the question: why did the nation risk life and limb to elect and entrust the sell-out MDC leaders with the important task of ending the Zanu PF dictatorship?

The answer to that question is that we, the ordinary Zimbabweans ourselves, have become the intellection couch potatoes. We have lacked the mental capacity to understand what Zanu PF has doing in systematically corrupting the country’s democratic institutions, much less the mental agility to do something to stop the regime. 

It took 20 years for many Zimbabweans to finally understood the need for democratic change as the only way to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. Still many, even to this day, have no clue what these democratic changes are hence the reason MDC leaders were able to sell-out on reforms and get away with it. 

In the long run, the people get the government they deserve; Zimbabweans certainly deserve this corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its entourage of corrupt and incompetent opposition parties. Zimbabweans deserve to be one of the poorest nations on earth.

Worst of all, there is nothing to suggest Zimbabweans are ever going to get out of this hell-on-earth the nation is now stuck in because there is nothing to suggest an desire to question pertinent questions to show a willingness to fire-up their brain and start thinking. 

Zanu PF has just rigged the recent elections confirming the country is still a pariah state, for example. This has dealt a hammer blow to all hopes of meaningful economic recovery because the much hoped for inward investment will never come. No one invests in a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. None of these political and economic realities have even registered in minds of most Zimbabweans. 

The EU, the Americans and other outsiders are more interested in holding President Mnangagwa to account for failing to hold free, fair and credible elections than most Zimbabweans. Whilst every thinking human being would consider the individual freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of one’s country and the right to life sacred and worth dying for Zimbabweans consider them to be privileges, at best. 

In many other countries Mnangagwa and his junta will be is serious trouble for the wholesale looting, blatantly rigging the elections, staging a military coup, multiple murders, etc.; in Zimbabwe they are heroes because the people have yet to register these activities as unlawful much less treason. 

Zimbabwe is one of the poorest nations on the planet but only because we allowed ourselves to become couch potatoes mentally. And, until we snap out of our mental slumber, there will be no escaping from our self-inflicted poverty.

Sunday, 28 October 2018

"I will get rid of ghost workers" Mnangagwa promised, again - who stopped you, it's been a year P Guramatunhu


I have never pegged myself as a cynic but in today’s Zimbabwe it is impossible not to be cynical when the whole nation is poisoned with cynicism and intrigue!

“Government is fully aware of the machinations by some detractors and economic opportunists who are bent on creating despondency in the country through the manipulation of the foreign currency market and creating artificial shortages," Mnangagwa told the party's Central Committee meeting. 

"This has caused untold suffering to our people. As a listening President, I have heard their cries and my Government is determined to provide solutions to these perennial challenges.”

How typical! How cynical! Which people have your heard; your fellow Zanu PF cronies or the millions of long suffering ordinary Zimbabweans? 

Here is the man who prided in telling the nation he was going to do things differently from the man he succeed, Robert Mugabe but other than the propaganda of “new dispensation”, “Zimbabwe is open for business!”; nothing has changed. Nothing! It is hard to take this regime seriously! 

“My government is going to get rid of the ghost workers!” said President Mnangagwa. 

Given the seriousness of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown one expected Mnangagwa to act swiftly and decisively in such matters as the country’s bloated, corrupt and wasteful public service. Why has done nothing for nearly a year?

This is a rhetorical question because we all know the answer. Indeed, instead of cutting the wastefulness of Robert Mugabe, President Mnangagwa has turned out to be a big spender in his own right. Many people believe he has squandered as much as $5 billion on new cars for Chiefs, party leaders and other key officials; chartered planes and other vote rigging and vote buying expenses. 

The ghost workers are an integral part of Zanu PF’s foot soldiers who intimidate and harass the people to attend Zanu PF rallies and then vote for the party. The party was not going to lay them off, not in the middle of a election campaign! Paying the ghost workers’ wages was just one election expense. 

Now that the Zanu PF has rigged the 30 July 2018 elections,  President Mnangagwa is making a new promise to lay-off the ghost workers. Whether he will do so is another matter; he has already show he has knack for taking his cronies out through the front door, make a big song and dance about it, only to take them back through the back door. 

When President Mnangagwa announced his new cabinet, many people praised him for reducing the size of his cabinet and for appointing new faces instead of recycling the deadwood. Now it turns out that former cabinet ministers have all been assigned positions in the “do nothing” second cabinet housed in Zanu PF party HQ complete with the entourage of retired permanent secretaries and other retired party/government officials. They will continue to receive their ministerial salary, limo, etc. 

President Mnangagwa was quick to lay the ground rules for the “do nothing” cabinet; they must “desist from making utterance for personal glory” and they are to wear the Zanu PF regalia. “If you keep to your mandate; “Munogara, mugogara, munechigaro chenyu!” (you keep you post forever!) 

Whether we, the ordinary Zimbabweans, care to admit it or not, the truth is the Mnangagwa regime cares about the ruling elite and, above all else, retaining absolute political power at all cost. President Mnangagwa does not care about the long suffering ordinary man, woman and child. 

The other day I saw an old lady (she looked 70+ but would not be surprised to hear she is 40 or less); the worried look on her face was enough to tell you something was wrong. She was frantically looking for her cardboard box with whatever she was selling and the little money she had. She is a street vendor eking a meagre living selling tomatoes or whatever; one of the 75% Zimbabweans now living on US$1.00 or less a day.

Life under Mugabe rule was tough and things have not got any better nor is there any reason to expect any meaningful change under Mnangagwa rule. President Mnangagwa does not care about the old lady or any of the impoverished masses no more that Mugabe did. 

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is an incompetent, corrupt, vote rigging and murderous thug just as Mugabe before him. He is more concerned about the welfare of the ghost workers, the “do nothing” cabinet members and everyone else who help him to rig the elections and stay in power. He will continue to ignore the poor old vendor and millions of others like her because they have no political power to hold him to account regardless how much he lets them down. 

If we are serious about ending the economic suffering brought on by the criminal waste of resources, material and human, by the corrupt and vote rigging ruling elite that has cause so much human misery and deaths then we must restore the individual freedoms and rights of all citizens. 

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is the 38 years of corrupt and tyrannical rule. The solution to Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is making sure we have free, fair and credible elections. 

If Zanu PF is still in power by the 2023 elections then we can be certain of one thing the party will rig and win those elections just as the junta has rigged this year’s elections and past elections. We cannot and must not allow this to happen. 

Friday, 26 October 2018

"I have heard people's cries" says ED - for 38 years, you have yet to hear their cry for free elections N Garikai


When President Mnangagwa finally took over the presidency, after 37 years of waiting in the wings, he was determined not to repeat the disastrous mistakes of his former boss the deposed dictator Robert Mugabe. He never doubted, for a second, that he would have the country back on firm economic recovery and prosperity. He expected Zimbabwe, under his leadership, to have the fairytale ending of “they all live happily ever after!” 

If wishes were horses beggars would ride!

President Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” has had no takers. The flood of investors “to take advantage of the many golden business opportunities”, as he argued; have never materialised. Zimbabwe’s worsening economic situation, shortage of foreign currency, food, fuel, medicine, etc. is a manifestation of economic meltdown and not the recovery he expected. 

If anyone had told Mnangagwa that a year into his presidency he would still be talking about worsening economic hardship for the ordinary people; he would have laughed in disbelief! Yet that is what he is doing now! 

"Government is fully aware of the machinations by some detractors and economic opportunists who are bent on creating despondency in the country through the manipulation of the foreign currency market and creating artificial shortages," Mnangagwa told the party’s Central Committee meeting. 

"This has caused untold suffering to our people. As a listening President, I have heard their cries and my Government is determined to provide solutions to these perennial challenges. 

"The lifting of the ban of Statutory Instrument (SI) 122 is one such move meant to provide interim relief to our people. My Government will neither let people go without basic commodities, nor allow the willy-nilly depletion of incomes by a few rogue businesses and persons.”

His original solution to attract investors was the right solution because it was going to inject the much needed new investment and cash to kickstart the comatose economy. The investors did not come because they were not easily fooled by the regime’s claim of a “new democratic Zimbabwe”. 

When President Mnangagwa failed to keep his promise to hold free, fair and credible elections; he confirmed that Zimbabwe was indeed still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. Investors do not do business in pariah states, period!

The so-called “solutions” this Zanu PF regime now been pursuing have made the bad economic situation worse. The new 2% tax will hit the poorest of the poor hard. 

Turning those trading in currency into criminals will not solve Zimbabwe’s foreign currency shortage nor will reintroducing price controls guarantee supply of goods at low prices! 

President Mnangagwa is a corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thug; “Mugabe mark 2”, as British MP Kate Hoey rightly said. As much as he has wanted to do things differently; the incompetence, corruption, vote rigging, etc. - the base premedical thug characteristics in him - have come to the fore. How can there be meaningful economic recovery with the price controls, corruption, the country still a pariah state, etc.? 

The people are not crying for Zanu PF “to provide solutions” the country’s many teething problems. The people accept that Zanu PF has failed to provide solutions and are crying for the right to elect someone else who can. After 38 years of Zanu PF rule, things have got worse and worse; the party’s record of failure is beyond dispute. 

The people of Zimbabwe have suffered a great deal under this incompetent, corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship and all they want from the regime is for it to step down. The regime rigged the recent elections, it is illegitimate and it should step down to allow the nation to move on.

“As a listening President, I have heard their cries and my Government is determined to provide solutions to these perennial challenges.” You are clearly not listening; the people are crying for you and your junta to go and not for you to keep imposing yourself and your ill-advised solutions on the nation. Mr President, you and your vote rigging junta are the nation’s greatest perennial problem and the solution is for you to step down right now!

Wednesday, 24 October 2018

"We need transition Gvt if the is no Gvt" argue Zanu PF - that is it, present Gvt is illegitimate N Garikai


“Zimbabwe does not need a transitional Government. Transiting to where? This country is governed through the Constitution which was adopted by more than 90 percent of Zimbabweans in 2013 and the same Constitution says a country can only have a so-called transitional Government if there is no Government,” said Zanu PF secretary for legal affairs, Paul Mangwana.
That is just it, Mangwana, the country does not have a legal government. Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections. ZEC has failed to produce any evidence to show were the 2.4 million votes attributed Mnangagwa came from. 
“The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission  (ZEC) contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” reads the EU Election Observer Mission final report. 
“Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”
In short Zanu PF rigged the elections and, per se, the regime is illegitimate. Zimbabwe does not have a government because the one in office is illegitimate. 
“Zimbabwe has a Government and is led by President Emerson Mnangagwa who was elected by people in terms of the Constitution and endorsed by the Constitutional Court. We cannot have a transitional Government in an independent sovereign authority,” continued Mangwana. 
Yeah right, the same Con-Court that eight months earlier had said in Zimbabwe a military coup ‘is legal, constitutional and justified’!
President Mnangagwa and his junta know they rigged the elections, they are illegitimate and the most logical thing to do is to step down and allow the nation to peacefully organise the holding of fresh free, fair and credible elections. 
Mnangagwa is refusing to step down preferring to hold on to power to the bitter end just as other tyrants like Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and Bashar al-Assad of Syria have done. You too shall drink bitter wine! 
As much as the nation would prefer a peaceful transition from a dictatorship to a democracy Mnangagwa will be very mistaken if he thinks the nation will not use force to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Zanu PF is imploding and it is unacceptable that the party should hold the nation to ransom and drag the whole nation into the abyss with it!

"ED punishing nation with shortages for rejecting him" says Chamisa - nonsense, ED cannot rig economic meltdown N Garikai


Chamisa is incapable of making a rational argument. 

“He (Chamisa) said President Emmerson Mnangagwa is punishing the nation for not voting for him on July 30,” reported the Daily News.

“Chamisa said this in light of the deteriorating situation in the country which Mnangagwa said should be endured as it is a process leading to better days.

"We have witnessed some developing trends on the political environment, clearly government is at war with the people and they are being punished for rejecting the government on July 30.

"When all else ceases government knows one thing, that they did not win the election, they did not win the mandate of the people and this is why they have behaved in a bizarre fashion," he said.

Only a village idiot would believe that President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF would have carefully plotted to have the foreign currency shortage, the financial chaos brought on by the Bond Notes value going up and down like a yoyo, the shortage of bread, fuel, medicine, etc. 

There is no doubt that the one thing President Mnangagwa had wished for more than anything since seizing power nearly a year ago was to see a flood of investors and lenders pouring into the country in response to his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” carrion call. It was not to be, investors and lenders have continued to shy away from investing in Zimbabwe. 

The country’s worsening economic situation is a result of President Mnangagwa’s failure to get the fundamentals right such as holding free, fair and credible elections, ending corruption, stop the waste of resources on new cars for chefs and on chartered planes, etc. and not just talk about it. Zimbabwe cannot be open for business when it remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. Investors do not do business this thugs because of the hustle and the risk of being mugged! 

There is no doubt that Mnangagwa understood the need end Zanu PF’s reputation as a party of thugs hence the reason for all that talk of “new Zimbabwe and new dispensation”. He was hoping that talking about holding free, fair and credible elections would suffice. The prospect of implementing the democratic reforms and giving up all Zanu PF’s dictatorial powers to rig the elections was a bridge to far for him and his junta cronies. 

Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown are a result of Mnangagwa and his junta’s refusal to accept the reality that Zimbabwe will never achieve any meaningful economic recovery as long as the country remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. Chamisa’s suggestion the regime is causing the economic meltdown to punish the people is nonsense. The nonsensical narrative we have learnt to expect from corrupt and incompetent opposition leaders who claim to have the answers to all the nation’s problems but will only disappoint because they have no clue!

Chamisa and his MDC friends have the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections during the 2008 GNU, for example. They failed to get even one reform implemented in five years.

Chamisa is taking advantage of the economic meltdown gripping the nation to push MDC Alliance agenda for the nation to have another GNU. He claims to have “the key to unlock economic recovery”. He and his MDC friends will be no more than puddles in the Zanu PF dominated government. No one will be fooled into believe the regime is anything else other than a pariah state. 

The only way out of this hell-hole Zanu PF has landed us in is for the party to step down to allow for the appointment of a interim administration that will implement the democratic reforms and then hold free, fair and credible elections.

Zimbabwe’s economic recovery is impossible whilst the country remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs! 

“Chamisa added that the country needs a national transitional authority to lay the framework to resolve the national economic crisis adding that the MDC is ready for discussion,” continued the Daily News.

The country would not be needed this transitional authority if MDC had implemented the reforms during the 2008 GNU. Yes, the country needs a transition arrangement but neither Zanu PF nor MDC leaders involved in the 2008 GNU should play any part in the new arrangement. They have already proven beyond all doubt that they are corrupt and incompetent, the nation must look for select competent men and women and no more recycled deadwood!

What good Ncube's professorship, etc. without the most precious of all - common sense! P Guramatunhu


To say I am disappointed and disgusted by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, is only because I cannot find a stronger and more incisive language to express my outrage. Words have failed me!

Professor Ncube was highly recommended when he made his maiden entry on Zimbabwe’s political stage just over a month and half ago and yet he has already made so many glaring and costly blunders. He has done enough damage already to win him the worst Finance Minister award. Here are just some of the blunders he has made:

·       He announced that the Bond Notes will be phased out and made a U-turn a few days later, but the harm has done.

·       He announce in London that the government would allow the free market decide the value of the Bond Notes. Again he reversed that a few days later but, once again, it was too late to stop the chaos the decision had generated.

·       Minister Ncube appointed this Lumumba fellow who told the world about the senior RBZ staff involved in the trading of Bond Notes. The story caused serious economic and financial damage because the implication that the regime was printing more Bond Notes than the promise limit was clear. The Minister fired the guy three days later.

·       There is no doubt that Minister Ncube’s 2% tax on all electronic transactions will affect the country’s poor. It is sicken that decades of Zanu PF misrule has left 75% of our people living on US$1.00 or less a day and Minister Ncube is going after the 2c of that dollar! Worse still, the revenue wrung out of the poorest of the poor is then used to buy posh cars, chartered plane, etc. for the ruling elite!  

·       I lost all confidence in Minister Ncube as some with common sense when he said the Zanu PF regime was legitimate because the Con-Court had confirmed Mnangagwa’s victory. Yeah right, the same court that also said a military coup is legal and constitutional!

No doubt Finance Minister, Mthuli Ncube, has his University Degree, MBAs, PhDs, Academic Achievement Awards, Professorships and God knows whatever else, covering all the available wall space in his large ministerial office. What is clear is, for all impressive academic accomplishment and very impressive working experiences, Professor Mthuli Ncube has no common sense. None!  

"2008 GNU was about power, position and sanitising Zanu PF" Chamisa finally confess - likewise 2018 P Guramatunhu


“Desperate Chamisa now wants a transitional govt!” screamed the headline in News Day. 

News Day was spot on Chamisa is now desperate and one does not need to be a psychoanalyst to see that it was power and position that the MDC Alliance was desperate for. 

"The transitional authority is going to be a creature of the discussions, we do not want to define the confines and parameters of it now because we want a national discourse," Chamisa said. 

“We want something that is not going to compromise the MDC because we don't want a repeat of 2008, where we were used to chlorinate the infected.

"We don't want a repeat of 2008 and once beaten twice shy, the agenda is not about power, positions, but answers to the people of Zimbabwe. We need permanent answers to resolve the national question." 

The people of Zimbabwe do not need me to remind them that at the time of signing the 2008 GNU and throughout its five years MDC leaders insisted they were in the GNU because it was in the nation’s best interest. The biggest problem the GNU was set up to resolve was stopping the curse of rigged elections. 

SADC leaders, all due credit to them, had managed to get Zanu PF to agree, in the Global Political Agreement, to the implementation of a raft of democratic reforms designed to dismantle the de facto one-party dictatorship Zanu PF had imposed on the nation. 

The task of getting these key reforms implemented fell on Morgan Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC leaders, including Chamisa. We know that MDC failed to get even one single reform implemented in five years much to horror of everyone including SADC leaders who had repeatedly reminded Tsvangirai and company of the need to implement the reforms. 

For the first time ever Nelson Chamisa is admitting MDC had not implement even one reform in five years of the GNU because to him and his fellow MDC leaders the 2008 to 2013 GNU was about “power, position and chlorinating the infections Zanu PF”. 
Chamisa and his MDC Alliance now want to form a transition government with Zanu PF whose purpose and set tasks are:

  1. returning to legitimacy (i.e. chlorinate ED and Zanu PF)

  1. undertaking comprehensive reforms (revisiting the same raft of democratic reforms of the last GNU which MDC leaders has forgotten about for the next five years as soon as they got the power and position they were after) 

  1. nation-building and peace-building (What nation building did MDC do in the last GNU? Zero!)

  1. having a common approach to international isolation (The west pointedly refused to lift any sanctions on Zanu PF leaders during the GNU, for example; in total disregard all the incessant begging to do so from MDC leaders. The west saw from the onset of the GNU that MDC had no meaningful power or influence in the GNU, they were there for the generous ministerial perks and to sanitise the Zanu PF dictatorship.

    The investors, lenders, and many western governments have shied away from investing in Zimbabwe because the country is a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. They are not going to reverse their policies just because Chamisa has been given a fancy title and drives a ministerial limo!)

  1. and addressing the economic situation (The little economic recover of the last GNU years did not last hence the reason the nation is in this mess. There will never be any meaningful and lasting economic recovery without first resolving the pariah state curse.)

The 2008 to 2013 GNU failed to get even one democratic reform implemented because MDC leaders did not care about reforms, they still do not care about reforms. Chamisa is desperate to see the formation of the transition government because he is desperate to get back on the gravy train, he wants power and position.

After 38 years of economic ruin and murderous oppression under this Zanu PF dictatorship there is a crying need for this nation to finally implement the democratic reforms and end this curse of pariah state. The only sure way to get the reforms implemented is for this illegitimate Zanu PF regime to step aside so the nation can appoint an interim administration tasked to implement the reforms. 

We do not want another fudged Zanu PF/MDC GNU, it is a criminal waste of time and human and material resources - neither of which we can ill afford to waste! 

Tuesday, 23 October 2018

Chamisa now ready "to form transition authority" with ED - is illegitimate, must step down N Garikai


"The only way forward is for a political dialogue with ZANU PF and it is not about the creation of another Government of National Unity (GNU), but we need to have a Transitional Authority which mechanisms we can discuss,” said MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa. 

This is rich coming from someone who has never understood that the GNU was first and foremost about implementing the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. MDC failed to get even one reform implemented in  five years of the GNU. 

SADC leaders tried to remind Tsvangirai and company of the need to implement the reforms but even they were ignored. The regional leaders even tried to get the 2013 elections postponed to get reforms implemented first. 

“If you take part in next month’s elections, you will lose; the elections are done!” SADC leaders warned MDC leaders at the regional summit meeting in June 2013, according to Dr Ibbo Mandaza who was there. Sadly, once again, MDC leaders paid no heed. 

As expected, Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the 2013 elections. 

“MDC leaders were busy enjoying themselves they forgot why they were in the GNU” commented one SADC leader in sheer frustration at MDC leaders’ breath-taking incompetence and corruption.

MDC leader, Senator David Coltart has acknowledged that the party participated in the 2013 elections with no reforms out of greed, pure and simple.

“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,” Senator Coltart admitted 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 resolved the party would not take part in any more future elections until the reforms are implement. “No reforms, no elections!” the nation was told. 

But once again, not even one reform has been implemented in the last five years.

MDC leaders, including Senator Coltart, participated in the recent elections in total disregard of the SADC warning and the party’s own “No reform, no election!” resolution. Greed got the better of them, again.

“MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!” Nelson Chamisa had insisted. 

“Tsvangirai made the stupid mistake of contesting the 2013 elections with no verified voters’ roll,” he boasted. “I will never make the same mistake!” All nonsense because he too participated in the elections with no reforms in place and Zanu PF blatantly rigged the elections. 

Zimbabwe is stuck with the corrupt, tyrannical and vote rigging Zanu PF dictatorship because MDC failed to implement the democratic reforms to stop the vote rigging. Right now the nation’s immediate problem is how to remove the vote rigging, thus per se, illegitimate Zanu PF regime from office.

The way forward now, indeed the only way forward, is that Zanu PF must step down to allow the nation to appoint an interim administration whose primary task will be to implement the democratic reforms to ensure the next elections are free, fair and credible. 

No one in either Zanu PF or MDC Alliance can play any role in the interim administration because the two parties had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms during the GNU and failed to get even one reform implemented. Not one! 

"The Transitional Authority must be a compromise as we don't want a repeat of GNU; we have experience now, once beaten twice shy. This political dialogue will discuss political legitimacy which has to be resolved. This will help to end the problems we are facing in the country," said Chamisa. 

Mr Chamisa, the 2008 GNU was about implementing the reforms and not even one was implemented because you and your fellow MDC leaders sold-out. You keep wittering about being “beaten” just you think everyone is as naive and gullible as the many MDC supporters who have still no clue what happened. 

Mr Chamisa it is the people of Zimbabwe in a free, fair and credible elections who gives the winner the mandate and thus legitimacy to govern the country. Zanu PF is illegitimate because the election process was flawed and illegal. It is for the regional or international body such as SADC or UN, not Zanu PF and MDC Alliance, to step into the breach and help in the setting up of the interim administration. 

The idea that MDC Alliance can absolve Zanu PF of its illegitimacy is simple preposterous. Your claim, MR Chamisa, of having won 2.6 million votes in the recent elections is as nonsensical as Mnangagwa’s 2.4 million votes victory claim; given that 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote, neither one of you has ever produce the V11 forms, etc. so your result can be traced and verified, etc. 

The idea that you, Mr Chamisa, has the power and authority to “legitimise” the illegitimate Zanu PF regime is preposterous! Who do you think you are!

Zimbabwe’s economic recovery will never happen whilst the curse of another rigged elections and pariah state hangs over the nation’s head like the sword of Damocles! The single most important task before this nation is therefore to appoint the men and women who will implement all the democratic reforms properly to guarantee next and future elections are free, fair and credible! 

Both MDC and Zanu PF leaders have already proven during the 2008 GNU that they cannot be trusted to carryout this very important and key task! 

It is encouraging that most national and regional bodies who had election observer teams have condemned the recent Zimbabwe elections. “Many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards,” said the EU final report.

Investors and lenders have condemned the flawed elections by shying away from investing in a pariah state. 

The next logical step is for everyone to remind President Mnangagwa and his junta that the only way to end the worsening economic mess the country now finds itself in is by the illegitimate regime stepping down to allow the appointment of the interim administration. SADC and UN must take a lead in this now and put an end to the tragic and but wholly avoidable tragic situation happening in Zimbabwe.

The only political dialogue with the illegitimate Zanu PF regime is over when the regime is stepping down. Extending it reign is completely out of the questions. If Zanu PF is still in power to manage the 2023 elections then we can be 100% certain that the party will rig those elections too and extend its stay in power by yet another five more years to then 43 years. That is simply unthinkable! 

Sunday, 21 October 2018

"Everyone (petty forex dealers) must play to rules" said (vote rigging) ED P Guramatunhu


President Emmerson Mnangagwa going after the foreign currency dealers with all guns blazing!

“As we work towards improving and stabilising the flow of foreign exchange into the productive sector, we must at the same time ensure and enforce discipline in the market,” he wrote in an article in Bulawayo 24.

“This means everyone must play to rules and norms, including respecting the laws of the land.

“Sadly, events of the past two weeks have shown this is not so. Not everyone is playing to the rules. Partly because of wanton illicit currency deals happening in what is known as the black market, our economy has been disturbed.

“We have suffered massive market failures, manifesting in complete collapse of the pricing framework for virtually all commodities, regardless of import component. There has been a run on the bond note.

What is so annoying about all this is the foreign currency shortage is just a manifestation of a bigger underlying problem which the regime is refusing to acknowledge. This is being penny wise but pound foolish!

It is all very well for President Mnangagwa to talk about “everyone must play to rules and norms, including respecting the laws of the land.” The heart, body and soul of Zimbabwe’s economic and political problems all emanate from he and his Zanu PF junta not playing to rules; they are above the all the laws of the land; they are a law unto themselves.

Zanu PF blatantly rigged the recent elections in total disregard of the laws to ensure free, fair and credible elections. No one is going to be fooled by someone who stages a military coup, gets the Con-Court to declare that legal, rigs elections and get Con-Court to declare him the winner masquerading as the champion of the law. Zimbabwe is pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. This has far reaching ramification to the country’s hopes of economic recovery than a foreign currency dealer.

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s foreign currency shortages is we are spending more forex paying for imports than we earn from exports. 38 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corrupt under this this one-party Zanu PF dictatorship has destroyed the country’s commerce and industries, agricultural sector, mining sector, etc. forcing unemployment to soar to dizzying height of 90%. We are now a nation that produces every little and imports almost everything!

We need to revive our economic production to reduce imports and increase exports.
  
By rigging the 30 July 2018 elections Zanu PF has destroyed our chance of reviving the economy scared away the would-be investors who cash injection in needed to kick-start the comatose economy. Investors do not do business in pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs!  

It takes a thief to catch a thief has a new twisted meaning. In Zimbabwe we have hardened criminals guilty of wholesale looting of the nation’s resources, military coup, vote rigging, over 30 000 cold blooded murders, etc. – all high treason stuff - using all state machinery to catch petty foreign currency dealers. Big deal!      

"Judge me in 6 months" says Ncube - who has ever done that in 38 years! N Garikai


“FINANCE and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, who is 42 days into his new job, says it is only fair to judge him after six months, adding that he expects the benefits of austerity measures to start coming through around March 2019,” reported Bulawayo 24.

“Economic structural reforms, he said, were unavoidable. The Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) through to December 2020 has secured the backing of the World Bank Group and IMF.”

This is infuriating! When have the people of Zimbabwe ever had a voice in even life and death matters? The country has just gone through an elections results were not “traceable, verifiable and the whole process was not transparent” and a senior government official is wittering of people “judging” as if he does not know that Zanu PF does as it pleases, period.
Minister Ncube is doing one other thing the Zanu PF regime loves to do - blame other people for its own mess. In the 1990s Zimbabwe had two back to back five-year IMF and WB sponsored Economic Structural Adjustment Programs (ESAP). Both programs failed to deliver an meaningful economic recovery because Zanu PF cherry picking, the regime implemented some reforms but left out all the important ones. President Mugabe went to town blaming the programs for the nation’s economic problems and blamed the IMF and WB for forcing the country to adopt them in the first place.

To hear Mugabe blubbering on and on about ESAP one would be forgiven to think IMF and WB had force Zimbabwe to accept the programs at gun-point. It was an excuse for not servicing the country’s mountain of debt. The IMF hit back by turning off all financial assistance to Zimbabwe.

It is doubtful if the IMF would have ever agreed to this TSP’s 2% tax on all electronic transactions clearly aimed at hitting the 75% of Zimbabweans living on US$1.00 or less a day! No doubt the regime will use the revenue to buy new cars for chefs, charter planes for Grace Mugabe, etc. The tax epitomises what is wrong with Zanu PF’s warped economic reforms and policies; they all hit the poor hard to subsidize the extravagant lifestyles of the filthy rich ruling elite.  

The IMF and WB are not going to bankroll this regime's doomed program and they have a good excuse - ZDERA. Minister Ncube is going to USA to see if he can talk the American government to lift the sanctions. The sanctions were confirmed following Zanu PF’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. No one worth his/her salt can deny the elections were rigged.

Even if the American government was to lift the sanctions this will not guarantee the IMF and WB would want to bankroll this regime's voodoo economic policies and programs. There is the issue of clearing the US$2 billion debt charges which Minister Ncube says he will pad in the next 12 months. All from the same 2% tax on the poor because the regime is not going to attract any local and foreign investors. By rigging the elections the regime shot itself in the foot, it scarred away would-be investors. No one wants to invest in a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs.

People were very pleased with the appointment of Professor Mthuli Ncube as Minister of Finance, given his impressive qualification and wide-ranging experience. Sadly, it is now clear he has no common sense. None! He has already made two very important policy blunders he said Zimbabwe was phasing out Bond Notes and then that he would allow the Bond Notes to float. He made U-turns on both but when the damaged was already done!
But his worst blunder is dragging the nation through years of economic hardship in pursuit of this TSP when it is clear there will be a lot of pain but no gain because there will never be any meaningful economic recovery whilst Zimbabwe remains a pariah state!

Minister Ncube; what Zimbabwe needs to revive its comatose economy is cash injection from the foreign and local investors not the last cents wrung out of the poorest of the poor, the regime has taxed to death already!

Zanu PF has dragged this nation into this hell-on-earth and yet remains in power regardless. It is bad enough that you are dragging us through this hell for nothing; please do not insult our intelligence by pretending you do not know that Zanu PF rigs elections and therefore is democratically untouchable! “Judge me in six months!” Yeah right, as if anyone has ever done that!

Saturday, 20 October 2018

EU Election Observer Mission Final Report - Executive Summary

Executive Summary 

The 30 July polls in Zimbabwe were for the presidency, parliament and local councils - known as the Harmonised Elections - and were the first since the stepping down from power of the former president Robert Mugabe after 37 years in office. Many previous elections have been contentious and with reports of abuses, and so while the commitment to hold credible elections by the interim president was welcomed, a legacy of the past was a low level of trust in the democratic process and institutions, which permeated the electoral environment. 

The right to stand was provided for, the elections were competitive and political freedoms during the campaign were respected. On Election Day, voters enjoyed the right to vote and both the campaign and election day were largely peaceful.

However, the right to an effective legal remedy was not adequately provided for, there is no equal suffrage and shortcomings in the registration of voters somewhat compromised universal and equal suffrage. Notably, major shortcomings in the pre-election environment impacted on the free expression of the will of electors, state resources were misused in favour of the incumbent and coverage by state media was heavily biased in favour of the ruling party. Further, the electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.

The election was competitive, with a large number of candidates and political parties contesting all three elections. The campaign was largely peaceful, with freedoms of movement, assembly and expression respected, and both the main presidential candidates held numerous rallies across the country. However, while political rights were largely respected, there were concerns regarding the environment for the polls and the failure to achieve a level playing field. Observers widely reported on efforts to undermine the free expression of the will of electors, through inducements, intimidation and coercion against prospective voters to try to ensure a vote in favour of the ruling party. Such practices also included direct threats of violence, pressure on people to attend rallies, partisan actions by traditional leaders, collection of voter registration slips and other measures to undermine confidence in the secrecy of the vote, manipulation of food aid and agricultural programmes and other misuses of state resources. 

The introduction of a number of legal and administrative changes was welcomed, including increasing the number of polling stations, limiting voters to voting only at their registered station, and limiting the number of excess ballots to be printed. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) put in place administrative arrangements for the holding of the 30 July polls as scheduled. However, the potentially positive measures were undermined by ZEC’s persistent lack of inclusivity and transparency. Further, the election management body became embroiled in a number of contentious issues, including the layout of the presidential ballot, modalities for printing and distributing ballots, poor procedures for confirming ballot security between printing and election day and the conduct of postal voting. ZEC also failed to make full or proper use of the Multi-Party Liaison Committees, particularly at the national and provincial levels. These issues contributed to a deterioration in the relationship between the electoral commission and the opposition in the weeks before the election. 

On the day of the election EU observers reported positively on the conduct of voting. Zimbabwean citizens turned out in large numbers and despite some lengthy queues, particularly in high density areas, the voting process was managed well by polling officials who worked hard to process voters. Some problems with the voter roll, or lack of voter awareness of their polling location, were evident. Party agents were present in virtually all of the polling places visited by EU observers. However, there appeared to be a high degree of instances of assisted voting in some places. The vote count in polling stations was reasonably well organised, though procedures were not always followed. The result was posted at the polling station in many instances, but not all. 

Presidential results announced by ZEC were based on figures from the provincial level. ZEC also provided a CD-ROM with polling station figures set out in excel format. As this was not a presentation of the actual V11 forms from each polling station, the CD-ROM did not provide the level of transparency, traceability and verifiability which was hoped for and which could have been achieved. Further, the figures presented by ZEC in the CD-ROM contained a large number of errors and inaccuracies. While these may not bring in to question the outcome per se, the errors do raise enough questions to have doubt as to the exact accuracy and reliability of the figures presented. The information provided by ZEC attests to a lack of quality control in its work, notably given that this was such a critical aspect of the elections. It is also notable that the provinces with the highest margin of votes in favour of the ruling party have been the areas with the highest number of reports of “smart intimidation”, misuse of state resources, involvement of traditional leaders and other electoral malpractices 

While the country stayed generally calm after polling, tension in Harare increased dramatically as the first parliamentary results indicated a clear lead for the ruling ZANU-PF. The fact that presidential results were not being released added to speculation and tensions. Before the announcement of official results by ZEC, MDC-A leaders started claiming that their party had won and that at least the presidential elections had been rigged. On 1 August a demonstration in the vicinity of the ZEC command centre was met with the deployment of military units. Soldiers fired live rounds into the crowd leaving at least six people dead and 14 injured. The MDC-A headquarters was also raided, and 27 persons, reportedly engaged on the MDC-Alliance’s vote tabulation, were arrested and computer equipment was seized, and to-date has not been released.

Following the declaration of results, there were reports of violence, and human rights defenders documented over 150 human rights violations between 1-7 August, including retributive acts against supporters, agents and candidates of the opposition. Reports of such of such acts persisted in the post-election phase. The legal challenge against the presidential results by Nelson Chamisa, presidential candidate for MDC-Alliance, was handled in a timely and transparent manner, but was rejected by the court on the basis that their claims were unproven. While ZEC’s poor management of the results may have opened up the process to a degree of legal jeopardy, the case brought by Chamisa did not adequately prove the case for a substantial change of the result. However, many of the claims regarding problems during the pre-election period and many of the procedural errors in ZEC’s management of the results had varying degrees of validity. 

Based on EU EOM monitoring, the state broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, failed to abide by its legal obligation to ensure equitable and fair treatment to all political parties and candidates. State-owned TV, radio and newspapers, which dominate the media landscape, were heavily biased in favour of the ruling party and incumbent president in their election-related coverage. Media operated in a generally free environment during the campaign and freedom of expression was respected. 

The legal framework provides for key rights and freedoms for the conduct of competitive elections. However, shortcomings in the Electoral Act and the absence of campaign finance regulations limit the integrity, transparency and accountability of the process. Furthermore, delays in adjudication, dismissal of court cases on merely technical grounds and a number of controversial judgments compromised the right to an effective legal remedy. 

The switch to biometric voter registration so close to the election was a major challenge for ZEC, which assumed responsibility for the roll for the first time. Data indicates a capture rate of 78.6% of the estimated eligible population, though with lower levels of registration in urban areas and a number of errors which remain to be resolved. The manner of sharing the voter roll with stakeholders proved contentious and, while acknowledging the effort ZEC made in undertaking the biometric registration, its lack of transparency and failure to provide clear and coherent information about voter registration overall added to a sense of mistrust by stakeholders. 

In the direct election for the National Assembly, only 14.75% of candidates were women and women were nominated in just 126 of the 210 seats. But by virtue of the additional proportional list system for the Assembly, which is a temporary constitutional measure, women will represent some 33% representation in the parliament overall. 
Priority Recommendations 
  1. ZECs independence needs to be strengthened, free from governmental oversight in the approval of its regulations. 
  2. ZEC must provide effective and timely information on all steps of the electoral preparations, making all information of public interest, including ZEC resolutions and verifiable polling station level results, immediately and easily accessible. 
  3. Voter registration needs to be enhanced in “under registered” districts of the country to ensure universal and equal suffrage. 
  4. Legal measures should be introduced to mitigate abuse of the advantage of incumbency and abuse of state resources 
  5. State-owned media must abide by their legal obligation to be impartial and provide equitable treatment to all political parties and candidates. 
  6. The results management process needs to be more coherent and fully explained to all stakeholders well in advance of the polls in order to enhance transparency, verifiability and integrity of the results process. 
  7. The process of aligning the Electoral Act with the 2013 Constitution needs to be pursued and completed. 
  1. Develop regulation of political party financing to promote accountability and transparency and as a key step towards creating a level playing field between political parties. 
  2. Procedures for the security of the ballot from printing, deployment to polling stations and on Election Day should be reviewed and procedures clearly announced for future elections. 
  3. Multi-Party Liaison Committees should be a regular feature of inter-party dialogue throughout the entire electoral cycle, to be an effective conflict resolution tool for political parties and to provide an effective forum for reporting on non-compliance with the Code.1 
The Full report is available on the following link: