Opinion / Columnist
'Demo to stop ED stealing election is on!,' called MDC - stealing is done, ED will ensure pantomime is well attended
09 Jul 2018 at 18:32hrs | Views
"The People's Demonstration against attempts to steal our elections is definitely on Wednesday. We should go in our numbers as we march towards the People's victory come July 30," twittered Douglas Mwonzora, MDC Alliance Secretary General.
There is no free public media and so millions of the voters, especially those in the rural areas have been effectively denied the right to hear what the other candidates in these elections, other than Zanu PF who have had the exclusive monopoly of the media for donkey years, have to offer. So, there is no hoped of these voters being well informed then.
We know ZEC has only registered 5.6 million (there are grave doubt there are no fictitious voters) out of its target figure of 7 million, ZEC has failed to produce a clean and verified voters" roll, etc. all because the voter registration exercise was deliberately started very late. How can this be a free and fair elections when near 25% have been denied the vote and no one, except the authorities, know who is in the voters" roll, who voted, how many times they voted, etc.
Will Wednesday"s demonstration do anything to address the lack of free public media, produce a clean and verified voters" roll, etc., etc.? The answer is no. There is not going to be even one meaningful reform that can be implemented three weeks before voting day.
SADC leaders wanted the 2013 elections postponed until the democratic reforms designed ensure there is a free public media, a competent and independent ZEC that will produce a clean and verified voters" roll timeously, etc. SADC leaders looked Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC leaders straight in the eyes and told them "If you go into next month"s elections, you will lose; the elections are done!"
MDC leaders did not listen and went ahead and contested the elections with no reforms in place. From David Coltart"s own account in his book, MDC leaders had all the evidence "the elections were done" but still they would not withdraw from contesting out of greed.
"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 (2013) 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."
Three of the main MDC factions have since kissed and made up to form the MDC Alliance in time for this year"s elections. Still, they have not talked of boycotting the elections since not even one reform was implemented since the last rigged elections; proof that greed still rules the roost!
Of course, MDC leaders will never admit that they are participating in these flawed elections out of greed. Coltart admitted this in his book, no doubt after agonising about it for ages, because the narrative would not have made any sense. He has been very careful never to refer to the subject ever again.
MDC leaders have come up with all manner of feeble excuses why they have continued to ignore SDAC leaders" advice not to take part in the elections without first implementing the reforms. One of the excuses has been that MDC will force Zanu PF to implement the reforms before the elections; Wednesday"s demo is in pursuance of this goal.
"The People's Demonstration against attempts to steal our elections is definitely on Wednesday!" Zanu PF has already stolen these elections, "the elections are done" as SADC leaders will put. The horse has already bolted and MDC are making a big song and dance about how they are making sure the stable door is secure.
There no doubt Zanu PF operatives will work a double shift to make sure the pantomime is well attended. As Coltart rightly pointed out, the credibility of the flawed process depends on stringing the opposition along, make them believe right up to the day after voting that they can stop the elections being stolen - even when everyone knows the deed is done.
There is no free public media and so millions of the voters, especially those in the rural areas have been effectively denied the right to hear what the other candidates in these elections, other than Zanu PF who have had the exclusive monopoly of the media for donkey years, have to offer. So, there is no hoped of these voters being well informed then.
We know ZEC has only registered 5.6 million (there are grave doubt there are no fictitious voters) out of its target figure of 7 million, ZEC has failed to produce a clean and verified voters" roll, etc. all because the voter registration exercise was deliberately started very late. How can this be a free and fair elections when near 25% have been denied the vote and no one, except the authorities, know who is in the voters" roll, who voted, how many times they voted, etc.
Will Wednesday"s demonstration do anything to address the lack of free public media, produce a clean and verified voters" roll, etc., etc.? The answer is no. There is not going to be even one meaningful reform that can be implemented three weeks before voting day.
SADC leaders wanted the 2013 elections postponed until the democratic reforms designed ensure there is a free public media, a competent and independent ZEC that will produce a clean and verified voters" roll timeously, etc. SADC leaders looked Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC leaders straight in the eyes and told them "If you go into next month"s elections, you will lose; the elections are done!"
MDC leaders did not listen and went ahead and contested the elections with no reforms in place. From David Coltart"s own account in his book, MDC leaders had all the evidence "the elections were done" but still they would not withdraw from contesting out of greed.
"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 (2013) 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."
Three of the main MDC factions have since kissed and made up to form the MDC Alliance in time for this year"s elections. Still, they have not talked of boycotting the elections since not even one reform was implemented since the last rigged elections; proof that greed still rules the roost!
Of course, MDC leaders will never admit that they are participating in these flawed elections out of greed. Coltart admitted this in his book, no doubt after agonising about it for ages, because the narrative would not have made any sense. He has been very careful never to refer to the subject ever again.
MDC leaders have come up with all manner of feeble excuses why they have continued to ignore SDAC leaders" advice not to take part in the elections without first implementing the reforms. One of the excuses has been that MDC will force Zanu PF to implement the reforms before the elections; Wednesday"s demo is in pursuance of this goal.
"The People's Demonstration against attempts to steal our elections is definitely on Wednesday!" Zanu PF has already stolen these elections, "the elections are done" as SADC leaders will put. The horse has already bolted and MDC are making a big song and dance about how they are making sure the stable door is secure.
There no doubt Zanu PF operatives will work a double shift to make sure the pantomime is well attended. As Coltart rightly pointed out, the credibility of the flawed process depends on stringing the opposition along, make them believe right up to the day after voting that they can stop the elections being stolen - even when everyone knows the deed is done.
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk
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