Uganda rigged elections a wake-up call for Zimbabwe

The recent circus mistaken for elections in Uganda shows that the more things change the more they remain the same , as the People's Democratic Party (PDP), we fear that the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe will be a national disaster if there are no new electoral reforms.
 
It is beyond reasonable doubt that the authoritarian dictator Yoweri Museveni stole the election despite that they were mired by false hope and false democracy.
 
However, in spite of the grand theft in Uganda, it is sad to note that the African Union (AU) rushed to endorse the rigged elections while the international community did nothing in condemning the stealing of the people's vote.

It is terrible for Africa when the last year's AU chairman is Robert Mugabe, who has been in power for 36 years and the current chairman is Idriss Deby of Chad who has been president since 1990.  These are a coterie of dictators and will support other dictators like Museveni to rig elections.
 
 It is a given that unless there are dramatic electoral movements in Zimbabwe, there will be no significant changes in the 2018 elections.  As the PDP, we foresee a national disaster in 2018 where massive electoral theft will take place.
 
We are concerned that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is not yet in control of the voters' roll with only two years left before the 2018 election.
 
A brand new biometric voters' roll (BVR), which requires time and resources to put in place is not available, with the financially broke Zanu PF government not willing to start working on it.  Massive rigging in elections has been rampant in the past years; the BVR will enhance inclusiveness and transparency however it has to be with its key features like the finger print.
 
As PDP, we hope that the BVR will boost the confidence to the people of Zimbabwe as the electoral process will be done in accordance with international principles and standards and reduce electoral theft.
 
However, the availability of the BVR before 2018 remains in doubt while the Electoral Act, which is another key element, has not been harmonized with the country's Constitution to give autonomy to ZEC. The BVR is, however, not the sum total of a panacea to a credible election.
 
 
As we put across in our ARREST document, it is the PDP's strong contention that free and fair elections can only come to fruition if the following conditions are met.
 
The creation of a brand new Biometric Voters' Roll.
The immediate disbanding of the ZEC and creation of a new national election management body and re-composition of the secretariat.
The creation of a transitional elections management body under the curatorship of SADC and the AU for the purposes of the 2018 election.
The creation of an independent electoral court.
The creation of wholly independent electoral courts of violence and opening up of the media space.
The demilitarization of electoral processes and the electoral environment.
An impartial traditional leadership.
Continuous voter registration exercise and voter education to be carried out by all stakeholders.   
The adoption of the Diaspora vote and cancellation of the use of voter slips.
The inclusion of an electoral code of conduct in the new Electoral Act.
 
The issue of free, fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe is central to Zimbabwe and it is a sham that the government's discussions with the World Bank and the IMF on re-engagement are going nowhere without the necessary electoral reforms, which is part of the re-engagement conditions.
 
As the PDP, we are seriously concerned with the window dressing and putting lipsticks on the Zanu PF monsters by sections of the international community when Zanu PF is clearly unwilling on implementing key electoral reforms before the 2018 elections.
 
"Another Zimbabwe is Possible"