Koni, one registers to vote only if elections are free and fair - these are rigged already W Mukori

“As we approach the do or die 2018 election watershed, the people are calling for a free and fair election which will usher a legitimately elected government of the people,” wrote Leonard Koni.

You are right is saying the people are “calling for free and fair elections which will usher a legitimately elected government.” What makes the elections “do or die” is this very key point – are they free and fair. If the elections are not free and fair we are going to sink deeper and deeper into trouble.

“Some have argued that this election is predetermined and they find no reason to go and register to vote. This is the duty of the opposition to break this jinks and embark on a nationwide campaign to encourage voters to register,” you continued.

You clearly did not appreciate the importance of the elections must be free and fair because if you did you would know by now that the opposition have done nothing to implement the democratic reforms necessary to guarantee free, fair and credible elections. With not even one democratic reform in place there is no doubt that Zanu PF will rig next year’s elections just as the party has done so many times in the past. Without even one democratic reform in place it is utterly pointless to take part in an election process one knows already will not be free and fair.

It is not for the opposition to encourage the people to register to vote when they have done absolutely nothing to ensure the elections are free, fair and credible.

Indeed, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had many golden opportunities to implement all the democratic reforms necessary to guarantee free and fair elections during the GNU. SADC leaders did their best to remind MDC leaders to implement the reforms. Sadly, MDC leaders paid no heed, they failed to implement even one democratic reform in five years of the GNU. NOT ONE!

SADC leaders step in once again to try and save Zimbabwe from making the mistake of going through yet another futile electoral process whose results is a predetermine Zanu PF landslide victory and warned MDC leaders not to contest the 2013 elections without implementing the reforms first.

 “If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!” SADC warned MDC leaders at the Maputo summit in June 2013.

David Coltart, an MDC cabinet member in the GNU, explained why MDC leaders paid no heed to the SADC leaders’ warning and contested the flawed 2013 elections.

“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.”

We now know that Coltart was only telling the half of it because the three main MDC factions have since come together to form the MDC Alliance and yet they are all keen as mustard to contest next year’s elections regardless of the reality on the ground that not even one reform has been implemented.

There is growing evidence already that Zanu PF is rigging next year’s election. The regime has dragged its feet over the BVR exercise, there is no way, ZEC will produce a verified voters’ roll in time for the elections. There are complains of ZEC officials turning at 13.00, take two hours to registering one vote although the nation was assure the process takes five minutes, etc., etc.

Those people who are arguing the people to register to vote regardless of all the evidence the elections will not be free, fair and credible because not even one democratic reform was implemented, it is clear there will be no verified voters’ roll, etc. are missing the point completely. Participating in the elections is, like everything in life, subject to some minimum conditions being met and guaranteed.

People should participate in the election only if the elections are free, fair and credible; if the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging the vote are implemented, there is a verified voters’ roll, etc.

If the people participate in flawed elections then what incentive is there for Zanu PF to implement even one reform?

By participating in flawed election, especially when they knew the process is flawed and illegal and had the opportunity to boycott it, the people are giving the process credibility.

After 37 years of rigged elections, it is insane to have anything at all; be it encourage others to register to vote, registering as a voter, attending any rally, anything; that can be misconstrued as participating or approving this mockery of an election. No thinking Zimbabwean should have anything to do with next year’s election; people must demand the implementation of the reforms before the elections, anything else is a waste of time, money and energy!

If the people of Zimbabwe had not discarded their thinking caps the country would not be in this economic and political mess. There have been many opportunities to end the Mugabe dictatorship in the last 37 years; we wasted them all because we were not thinking. Right now, many are Zimbabweans are taking part in these flawed elections because MDC leaders told them the party has “Winning In Rigged Elections (WIRE) strategies.” Only someone who has taken leave of their sense would fall for such nonsense!

Registering to vote in an election whose result is already predetermined just to give the process credibility is insane. Ask yourself, as any thinking person would, why should you listen to what MDC leaders want you to do, when it was them who failed to implement the reforms to ensure free and fair elections!