CODE "to Zanu PF a run for their money" says Biti - feeble excuse for selling out yet again. By N Garikai

Tendai Biti and his PDP have finally joined the other seven small opposition party in Coalition for Democrats (CODE).

 “This is a coalition that is not in competition with other opposition parties but we are not going to bow before anyone . . . we are going to work very hard to ensure that next year we give Zanu PF a run for their money . . . ” said Biti.

This is a nightmare!

People have risked life and limp to elect MDC and former MDC leaders like Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti into power on the promise they will deliver democratic change and restore people’s freedoms and human rights and dignity. These politicians had many opportunities to do just that, the best chance being during the GNU when SADC leaders egged them on to implement the democratic reforms which would have stopped Zanu PF rigging elections. MDC failed to get even one reform implemented, not one!

With no reforms in place, SADC leaders, literally, begged MDC not to take part in the 2013 elections because it did not make any sense to contest any election knowing fully well the vote will be rigged. MDC leaders disregarded the warning and contested the elections for purely selfish reasons as Senator David Coltart had admitted in his recent 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.”

As expected Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the elections. It was none other than Tendai Biti himself who was complain of Zanu PF youths bussed in to vote. The evidence is there for the whole world to see, google “Tendai Biti witness vote rigging in Zimbabwe”. Worse things happened in the rural area, away from the media and where Zanu PF thugs rule the roost; the villagers were harassed and herded off like cattle to vote for Zanu PF.

Mr Biti, did MDC give “Zanu PF a run for its money” in 2013 by allowing the regime to ride roughshod over the people’s basic right for a meaningful say in the governance of the country? So, what was it exactly did you accomplished worthy of giving up on the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and allowing the nation to finally have its first free and democratic elections?

Mr Biti was one of the few opposition politicians who won their seat in the 2013 elections and, being the political chameleon that he is, Biti had the cheek to suggest the elections was not rigged, Zanu PF won because it was better organised!

Most MDC leaders agreed Zanu PF rigged the July 2013 elections and resolved they will not contest any future elections until meaningful reforms are implemented. Tendai Biti did not contest the by-election to try win back his seat after Tsvangirai recalled all the seats of those who had broken away with Biti.

Are we to now understand that MDC leaders are once again not going to do the obvious thing of boycotting until meaningful reforms are implemented just “to give Zanu PF a run for its money”?

No doubt MDC leaders did not implement even one reform during the GNU for the exact same reason – “to give Zanu PF a run for its money”.

Zimbabwe’s failure to hold free and fair elections is at the very heart of the country’s economic mess. Unemployment is a nauseating 90%, basic services like health, education the supply of clean water all but collapse and millions living in abject poverty. The economic situation in Zimbabwe is now both intolerable and unsustainable, the country is tittering on the edge of serious social and political unrest if nothing is not done to end the economic meltdown.

Simply put, Zimbabwe cannot afford yet another rigged elections!

So, Mr Biti, forget your egotistic nonsense of “giving Zanu PF a run for its money”; what the nation want to know is are next year’s elections going to be free, fair and credible?

MDC was elected to deliver democratic change including free, fair and credible elections; the need for free elections is greater now than ever!

This is typical of our corrupt and incompetent politicians, the people elect them to do one thing and as soon as they get into power they sell out and start pursuing their own selfish agenda and sell the people bronze, or worse, for gold! Zanu PF were elected on a mandate to deliver freedom, peace, justice and economic prosperity and the regime has become corrupt and a murderous dictatorship.

MDC leaders were elected to deliver the democratic changes designed to end the Zanu PF dictatorship and they have now become the regime’s silent partners, taking part in flawed elections to give them democratic legitimacy in return for the few opposition seats on the gravy train.

CODE is going to “give Zanu PF a good run for their money”. Yeah, right! What a feeble excuse for abandoning “No reform, no elections!” and once again participating in flawed elections!