Wednesday 18 January 2017

Boycotting 2013 elections was the obvious option, it is the ONLY option in 2018

Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC-T are gearing up to contest the 2018 national elections and so are the other MDC factions. What happened to "No reform, no elections"?

Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends have never understood the critical importance of free, fair and credible elections as the foundation of democracy and good governance. They have never appreciated Zanu PF’s vote rigging powers either. Put the two together and it is clear why MDC has failed to implement even one reform in the five years of the GNU. Tsvangirai was convinced MDC’s popular support was so massive that no “Zanu PF vote rigging shenanigans” would overturn MDC’s majority, he later admitted.

It was not until early 2013, the tail end of the GNU, that MDC panic when Zanu PF started rolling out its vote rigging machine in preparation for the elections. Suddenly MDC leaders wanted the reforms implemented but instead of tabling concrete reform proposals, they started asking for the life of the GNU to be extended to October 2013, at the earliest. It was easy to shoot down the request to extend the GNU’s life since it was supposed to last 18 months and had lasted 60 months instead and still failed to implement even one reform. There was nothing to suggest extending the GNU would change anything.

Besides it was no secret that MDC leaders were enjoying the gravy train ride, a good reason to end the GNU. It is not surprising that the GNU end after the five years and, not so surprising, not even one reform was implemented in its life time although this was the primary task of the GNU – implement a raft of reforms to ensure the next elections are free, fair and credible.

The high attendance figures at MDC rallies compared to the very poor attendance at Zanu PF rallies must have restored MDC confidence of winning regardless of Zanu PF’s vote rigging shenanigans. Tsvangirai was beaming with confidence of winning the elections but by noon of the main day of voting, long before polling station closed, he came out to complain of “Zanu PF is stealing the elections!”

The vote rigging by Zanu PF was blatant and widespread; nearly one million voters, mainly opposition supporters, were denied the vote; the number of polling stations was increased from2 000 to 9 000 just two days before voting and many of these additional stations had the same numbers of cast votes; etc. Many Zanu PF members have since admitted they were “shocked” at the party’s victory. It was therefore no exaggeration to say Zanu PF was “stealing” the elections!

The conduct of the July 2013 Zimbabwe elections has settled one issue beyond dispute – that as long as Zanu PF is allowed a freehand to rig the vote no opposition will ever win the elections and thus the people of Zimbabwe will continue to be denied a meaningful vote and say in the governance of the country. MDC leaders have quarrelled with each other and never agreed on anything of substance but they all agreed on boycotting elections until meaningful reforms are implemented to stop Zanu PF rigging the vote.

“No reform, no elections!” all the MDC factions agreed. And true to their word, no MDC faction has contested any of the many by-elections since the rigged July 2013 elections  

We know that not even one democratic reform has been implemented since the rigged July 2013 elections. Not one! It therefore goes without saying that the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut has not been dismantled in anyway. Zanu PF members are fighting amongst themselves like hyenas over a carcass but they will fight off the opposition even more ruthlessly. Come the elections, the juggernaut will be running like clockwork, oiled by the billions of dollars looted from Marange diamonds. It is therefore alarming to hear that all the MDC factions have called off the election boycott and will be contesting the 2018 elections even though not even one reform was implemented.  

Dr Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Professor Welshman Ncube, etc.; what has happened to “No reform, no elections!”?

“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,” said Senate Coltart, an MDC cabinet member in the GNU, of the 2013 elections.

Zanu PF has been careful to allow the opposition parties to win a few seats during nationwide elections and it is these seats the opposition are fighting over; if this was not so obvious in the 2013 elections it is glaring obvious this time.  

By taking part in the 2018 elections, knowing the elections will be rigged and ignoring all the warning of the rigging, the participant is per se accepting that Zanu PF be given the carte blanche dictatorial powers to rig the vote and deny the ordinary people their right to free, fair and credible elections. It will be nonsensical and fiscal for any of these participants to complain of vote rigging and not evidence of vote rigging will be considered no matter how glaring or significant. All the participants must know and understand that by contesting the elections, flawed and illegal as it is certain to be, they are the ones giving the process legitimacy.

“There are unjust people as there are unjust laws,” said Mahatma Gandhi.

Zanu PF is the unjust regime conducting illegal elections. Zimbabwe’s opposition politicians have played their part in the long stay in power of the Zanu PF dictatorship by granting the regime a measure of respectability by contesting rigged elections. President Mugabe has rewarded the opposition with a few seats on the gravy train, $4 million Highlands mansions, etc. The selling out of the people’s freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections by the opposition must now stop!
   

If boycotting the elections was obvious thing to do in 2013; boycotting the 2018 elections is now the ONLY logical thing to do.  

5 comments:

Nomusa Garikai said...

"If boycotting elections was the obvious thing to do in 2013; boycotting the 2018 elections is now the ONLY logical thing to do."

With not even one democratic reform implemented and the vote rigging and violence already sweeping the land; it is sheer madness to think the 2018 elections will be free, fair and credible. The people of Zimbabwe have yarned for peace and to bask in the sunshine of freedom and liberty. They have never had a free vote for they were denied that by the white colonialists and, for the last 37 years, by their fellow blacks.

The next elections must be free, fair and credible and if it is not possible to have free and fair elections in 2018, then we must boycott all elections until it is possible to hold free and fair elections. We refuse to go through even one more mockery of an election to please the Zanu PF thugs and the few opposition underlings who bless such processes for the sake of the scraps Zanu PF throws in their direction.

Nomusa Garikai said...

We have had the great misfortune of a vote rigging, corrupt and tyrannical ruling party Zanu PF whose tyrannical rule has been made easy and extended because we also had the great misfortune of having a corrupt and incompetent opposition who failed to implement even one democratic reform when they had the golden opportunity to do so.

As if this was not back enough, we also have the civic society which does not know it’s right hand from its left; the failure by ZPP and other NGO to condemn Zanu PF for failing to hold free, fair and credible and condemn the opposition by giving such elections credibility by taking part is inexcusable.

If an organisation like ZPP has no clue what constitute a free, fair and credible election then they have no business wasted donors' money masquerading as an NGO, monitoring elections and producing meaningless report on a subject matter they know nothing about!

Nomusa Garikai said...

“Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition is on record castigating the Head of State and Government as well as senior Zanu PF officials for reckless statements that have the potential of fanning violence and hatred among Zimbabweans,” you tell us.

After 37 years of voting rigging and violence and the situation has got worse not better with the passage of time; has it ever occurred to anyone, anyone at all in Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition that the organization should call for something more concrete to end the madness instead of the usual dribble and platitudes!

The failure by CZC and other NGO to condemn Zanu PF for failing to hold free, fair and credible and demand the implementation of democratic reforms to end the madness and the failure condemn the opposition for taking part in fraudulent elections, thus giving them a modicum of credibility, all these years is inexcusable.

If an organisation like CZC have no clue what constitute a free, fair and credible election then they have no business wasted donors' money masquerading as an NGO, monitoring elections and producing meaningless report on a subject matter they know nothing about!

Nomusa Garikai said...

“Zanu PF may have to once again attempt to saunter back into office, literally dripping with the blood of innocent citizens,” writes Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai’s spokesman.

What have you MDC people ever done to stop this madness? Nothing, that’s what!

MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms designed to end vote rigging and all this meaningless political violence. In the five years of the GNU, MDC failed to get even one reform implemented. Even at the eleventh hour, just a few months before the 2013 elections, MDC had the chance to boycott the election and demand the implementation of the reforms; they did not out of selfish greed as Senator David Coltart has 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 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.”

After the rigged 2013 elections, MDC promised not to take part in any future elections until the reforms are implemented; “No reform, no elections!” they promised. Yet MDC leaders have now reneged on this promise and are once again taking part in the elections, knowing fully well they will be rigged and innocent blood shed, and for exactly the same selfish reason as in 2013 – selfish greed!

There is absolutely nothing to be gained by the ordinary Zimbabwean by going through yet another violence election process whose outcome is pre-determined but there is plenty for the common man to lose; the right to a free and meaning vote and the chance to elect a competent government so the task of getting the nation out of this mess can finally begin.

“Buckle up, dear Zimbabwean citizen; that ghastly season is upon us once again!” says Tamborinyoka.

Yes, buckle up Zimbabweans not for another rigged violent election but rather for the fight to force sell-outs like MDC-T to boycott elections until all reforms are implemented and the nation can finally hold its first free, fair and credible elections! Tsvangirai and his MDC friends sold-out in taking part in the 2013 elections, we must not allow them to do so again!

Zimbabwe Light said...

“Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC-T are gearing up to contest the 2018 national elections and so are the other MDC factions. What happened to "No reform, no elections"?” You rightly ask!

With no reforms in place, boycotting Zimbabwe’s 2013 elections was the “obvious” thing to do and SADC leaders advised Tsvangirai and his MDC friends to do just that. Senator David Coltart, credit to him for seeing it as the obvious thing to do too or be it the penny dropped on the eleventh hour! But not even he could resist the temptation of another five years on the gravy train hence the reason he would not take his own council and joined the rest of his MDC friends in contesting the elections.

The vote rigging by Mugabe was so blatant, in your face, that even the dim-witted Morgan Tsvangirai could see this was daylight robbery. By noon on voting day, there was no need to wait for voting to end or the results to be announced, he was telling the world Mugabe “stole the vote!” The world gave him the middle finger salute, because they had warned him this would happen and he ignored them.

The MDC leaders decided to boycott future elections after the rigged 2013 elections was meant as the message to the world that they have now come to their senses and will do the right thing. No one should be surprised that they have since flip-flopped back to taking part in the coming 2018 election.

These are men and women who have blundered from pillar to post all their lives because they are breathtakingly incompetent. Even on a matter that they should see as obvious and therefore be consistent they wave like branches of a willow tree. The promise of a seat of the gravy train has them whipping around like willow tree branches in gale force winds! Greed has their eyes are glassed over with visions of themselves as minister, Mugabe has all his ministers issued with the latest model of Mercedes Benzes plus many other luxuries; there is nothing anyone can say or do to stop taking part in the elections and claim the prize!

Granted they will complain the elections were rigged not that anyone will listen; it is tiring listening to fools.