EU pressure parliament to implement reform - change tact, pressure illegitimate junta to step down P Guramatunhu

It is gratifying to see that the EU is taking the matter of free, fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe with the sense of urgency and seriousness the matter demands. The EU Election Observer Mission submitted its final report on the 30 July 2018 elections last week and made it crystal clear the elections were rigged.

“The electoral commission (Zimbabwe Election Commission) lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner,” stated the report.

“The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”

The failure by President Mnangagwa to keep his promise to hold free, fair and credible elections, the blatant and callous disregard of international norms like releasing a verified voters roll, was the coup grace exposing his regime claim that Zimbabwe had change as a lie.

Ever since the November 2017 coup Mnangagwa went on a charm offensive selling Zimbabwe as a “new and democratic dispensation” and “open for business”. By blatantly rigging the July 2018 elections he confirmed that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state, putting the country back in the sin-bin, and effectively scarred away all would-be investors and lenders. Who, in his or her mind, would ever want to do business in a country whose next regime change will be yet another military coup, countrywide protests or worse!

 Right now, Zimbabwe is in the middle of economic chaos triggered by the shortage of foreign currency to buy basic essentials such as food, fuel and life-saving drugs. President Mnangagwa’s reckless spending; buying new cars for Chiefs and his Zanu PF party leaders, $1.4 million on a charted plane for Grace Mugabe, etc.; contributed to the foreign currency shortage. The situation was made worse by the country’s failure to attract investors and lenders because of its pariah state status.

The EU’s initiative in pressuring the Zanu PF regime to take its report on the recent elections and call for meaning political reforms serious it greatly appreciated by every thinking Zimbabwean out there keen to see Zimbabwe get out of the economic and political hell-hole the country has been into by Zanu PF.

"It has been clear to us that going forward, Parliament is a key institution in ensuring legislative reforms, and the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda mentioned the possibility of forming an ad hoc committee to ensure they look at the electoral reforms that can be implemented," said Mark Stevens, the deputy chief observer of EU Election Observer Mission, according to a News Day report.

"It would be very interesting for us to hear from your perspectives if there is political will for political reforms, and putting in place effective mechanisms for discussions and dialogue on the potential changes."

Much as I would want to support the EU initiative one must also be realistic and brutally honest with the truth. The EU must admit most of the blatant vote rigging we all witnessed were not mistakes but deliberated and calculated acts. Worse still, with the 2/3 Zanu PF majority in parliament there is no chance of any meaningful democratic reforms being implemented.

“Zanu PF will never reform itself out of office!” said Professor Jonathan Moyo, for years the party’s chief spin-doctor and strategist. The party will only be too glad to string everyone along, especially if doing so will result in the EU and other nation helping to ease Zimbabwe’s economic hardships.

If Zanu PF is in power come 2023 elections, the party will rig the elections and we will be back where we are today, negotiating with the regime to implement reforms. After 38 years, and counting, of Zanu PF rigging elections and getting away with it there is a crying need to change tact.

Zanu PF rigged the recent elections and thus bring upon the nation the pariah state curse and the consequence of the economic meltdown. The regime is illegitimate and it is about time it was told in no uncertain terms that it must step down! After holding the nation to ransom all these last 38 years, causing all the economic hardship and murdering over 30 000, it is simply unacceptable that this should be allowed to continue!