“Opposition parties have- for the first time- extolled President Emmerson Mnangagwa for uniting the people of Zimbabwe,” reported Terrence Mawawa in Zimeye.
In a statement released today the NPP has lauded Mnangagwa for promoting diversity of views.
” For the first time in history the Zimbabwean Independence Celebrations have been turned into a national event. Chakanaka chakanaka.
“The Independence Celebrations have not been turned into a Zanu PF rally.”
Zanu PF is well known for giving with the right hand, make a big song and dance about it, and meanwhile steal away even more than they gave with the left hand. NPP leaders, together with the other opposition leaders, are granted a seat in the VIP tent and the opposition is agog with joy.
Meanwhile, the nation is facing elections in three or four months and still Zanu PF as stubbornly refused to implement the democratic reforms necessary to ensure free, fair and credible elections. Of course, Zanu PF would not be so amenable with anyone in the opposition camp if they were demanding that the reforms must be implemented!
We hear Nelson Chamisa, MDC Alliance Presidential candidate, received a hero’s welcome at the National Stadium Independence Day celebrations from his party and Zanu PF supporters alike!
As long as Chamisa does not demand the implementation of the democratic reforms and take away Zanu PF's carte blanche powers to rig the elections, Zanu PF leaders and supporters will treat Chamisa and his friends with the usual condescending tolerance of a tyrant to his puppet. This is nothing new, former President Mugabe and Zanu PF treated Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends much the same way when they agreed to kick the reforms out of the window throughout the GNU years.
It is in Zanu PF’s interest that the opposition go into these elections beaming with confidence there is nothing amiss with the process. Even if someone, like the SADC leaders did in 2013 and the Americans have done this year, should rub the opposition’s noses into the folly of contesting flawed and illegal elections; it is important for Zanu PF that the opposition believe they can win rigged elections!
It is in Zanu PF’s interest that the opposition go into these elections beaming with confidence there is nothing amiss with the process. Even if someone, like the SADC leaders did in 2013 and the Americans have done this year, should rub the opposition’s noses into the folly of contesting flawed and illegal elections; it is important for Zanu PF that the opposition believe they can win rigged elections!
Nelson Chamisa told his followers the other day that MDC will demand to know who will be printing the ballot papers and the party will assign members who will guard the ballots from the printers all the way to the polling stations, day and night. The MDC supporters cheered and applauded to show their approval and pleasure. They could not be more content! “Moyo mbembe sedivi redoto!” as one would say in Shona.
Of course, this is idiotic because with no reforms in place Zanu PF has 1001 ways of rigging these elections beside using dodgy ballot papers. Zanu PF has already deployed the Chiefs, they have their bribe of new twin cab truck; Zanu PF National Political Commissar, retired Major Engelbert Rugeje; war veterans; 2 000 to 5 000 soldiers, etc.; all with vast experience in harassing beating and even murder, to frog march people to vote for Zanu PF. With no verified voters’ roll; Zanu PF deliberately delay the start of the voter registration exercise to make sure ZEC will have no time to produce one; NIKUV, the Israeli vote rigging specialists Zanu PF has used often in past elections, will devise many vote rigging schemes. Etc.
With international election observers coming into the country Zanu PF needs Chamisa and his opposition to put up a performance to convince these outsiders that MDC could have won the elections even with no free media, no verified voters’ roll, etc.!
By failing to get even one reform implemented during the GNU MDC lost a lot of political credibility with the donors and SADC. Just as much they want to retain Zanu PF’s carte blanche power to rig elections, President Mnangagwa and his junta also know that if the process is not seen as credible the international observers will declare the whole process null and void!
MDC Alliance’s campaign budget it a merger $2 million compared to Zanu PF’s $4 billion plus. We should not be surprised if a mysterious donor was to bankrolling MDC Alliance's elections campaign. Zanu PF will be the mysterious donor; the regime is that desperate to keep MDC Alliance in the race and make they appear a worthy opponent!
These elections should not be taking place without first implementing the reforms to make sure they are free, fair and credible. The only reason the elections are going ahead with no reforms in place is because Nelson Chamisa and his opposition friends do not care that Zanu PF rigs the vote as long as the party gives away a few gravy train seat. All Chamisa, like Morgan Tsvangirai before him, is after is that he should be the leader of the country’s main opposition party!
The real big losers here are the ordinary Zimbabweans who have been stuck with this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship for the last 38 years now. By holding the elections, the nation is forfeiting the chance to get the reforms implemented so there can be free and fair elections, as David Coltart, MDC cabinet minister during the GNU, readily acknowledge.
“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 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.”
Most of the MDC politicians are in the MDC Alliance and there has been no talk of boycotting the elections. They are after the bait gravy train seats.
Yes President Mnangagwa and his coup junta can afford to be amenable to the opposition, especially to Chamisa and his MDC friends. Zanu PF is still in power today thanks to the breath-taking incompetence of the MDC who failed to implement the reforms, even when they had the golden opportunity to do so during the GNU. Zanu PF will be country on Chamisa and his opposition friends to pull off another “winning rigged elections” performance – a real tough call given the world is sick and tired of the oxymoron insanity!
1 comment:
Even in those countries with centuries old tradition of holding free, fair and credible democratic elections, they do not always elect the best candidate the nation has to offer because democratic elections is NOT an exact science.
Mathematics is an exact science:
1 + 1 = 2
This is true today, has been true since the start of human civilisation and will remain so as long as mankind shall live.
History is not an exact science in that one can one about a historic event and be judged correct. And yet say the exact opposite about the same event and be judged correct too.
The Americans went to the poll two years ago and elected President Donald Trump. Many people, including many Americans themselves, would agree he is not exactly an exemplary leader, democrats the world over would proudly parade as their champion.
On the other hand, the China has no history of holding free, fair and credible elections. The country has been ruled by the Communist Party of China since the late Chairman Mao declared the country the People's Republic of China in 1949. China has remained a backward nation in which millions, especially in the country side, were condemned to live in abject poverty. It is only in the last 30 years that China has enjoyed impressive economic growth enabling it to drag millions of its people out of poverty.
It is easy to see why President Mnangagwa and his junta are focusing on economic recovery and ignoring political reforms with they demands for free and fair elections. The regime is hoping to replicate the Chinese economic success and then argue free elections are not a pre-requisite for economic success.
This is trap in that if Zanu PF fails to replicate the Chinese miracle, which they have failed to do under Robert Mugabe, then the nation is still stuck with the corrupt and tyrannical regime since we will have forfeited the political reforms!
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