By abandoning 'No reform, no elections!' so readily MDC show their flawed character. By P Guramatunhu

“MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora has banned the selection of candidates who will represent the country’s biggest opposition party in next year’s general election amid reports that the process had reached fever pitch in most parts of the country,” New Zimbabwe reported.

In 2014 MDC-T made a congress resolution not to take part in any future elections until democratic reforms have been implemented to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. The resolution was made after the party had ignored the warning not to participate in the July 2013 elections without implementing the reforms first. Zanu Pf went on to blatantly rig the elections, promoting Tsvangirai to complain that “Zanu PF stole the elections”.

The choice to boycott the flawed elections was the obvious option as Senator David Coltart has admitted in his Book.

MDC-T resolved that the party will not contest any future elections until reforms are implemented; there was no debate to reverse this decision and yet there is a mad scramble to be selected candidate. Many of these individuals would have contested as independent is the party was to maintain its position to boycott the elections – such is the desperate desire to win a seat on Zimbabwe’s political gravy train!

The party took part in the 2013 elections with no reforms because it could not resist the few seats Zanu PF always throw away during national elections as Senator Coltart 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.”

So, it was the blatant vote rigging in the July 2013 elections that forced MDC members to finally open their eyes and see the futility of participating in a flawed and illegal electoral process.

Not even one democratic reform was implemented since the July 2013 elections. There has been no debate within the party to unpick the 2014 “No reform, no election!” So, the “fever pitch” fighting to be the party candidate in the coming elections means the eyes opened, if any had been opened, by the blatant vote rigging, have all been superglued shut by greed, again!

It is this tendency by MDC leaders to lose sight of the bigger picture in search of miniscule selfish personal gains that has made them a serious liability and not partner in our struggle to end this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship, especial with flawed leaders like Morgan Tsvangirai playing such a key leadership role.

It was former USA Ambassador to Zimbabwe who said, in a leaked cable, Tsvangirai was "a flawed figure, not readily open to advice, indecisive and with questionable judgment".

Time has proven the Ambassador right!

“The reality is that Tsvangirai has always been a protest choice, and not a real one,” wrote Petina Gappah, commenting of USA Ambassador’s observation. “Given the choice between him and Mugabe, most voters would choose, and have chosen him. But this is not to say that he is by any means the best possible leader for Zimbabwe.”

“… . . And in pushing and supporting a man who as patently flawed as Tsvangirai, they may effectively be creating a monster.”

Time too has proven Gappah was spot on; Tsvangirai is as much a monster as President Mugabe himself.

President Mugabe has since the GNU days realised that as long as he allowed Tsvangirai and the other opposition leaders win a few seats they will participate in elections, to fighting over these seats, and allow him to rig the vote and claim the bigger prize. He will get away with implementing meaningful democratic reforms.

So Tsvangirai and his opposition friends are helping the Mugabe project of denying the ordinary people their freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections for the sake of few seats on the gravy train, a $4 million Highlands mansion for Tsvangirai and a few other bits and bobs.

The realisation that Tsvangirai and his opposition friends are not serving public interest by participating in flawed 2018 elections in now central in our fight for free, fair and credible elections. All those opposition parties and candidates contesting the 2018 elections with no reforms are not fighting in our corner but in Zanu PF’s corner!