Chamisa demands 'free election safeguard' from ED - never conceded to any in past, now or ever

"OPPOSITION MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said he was ready to weigh any offers tabled by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to enable them to work together for the good of the country, but cautioned that dialogue would be centred around five key issues his party wants addressed first," reported Bulawayo24.

"The five key issues Chamisa wants to discuss with Mnangagwa include ensuring that future elections are safeguarded so that they are held in a transparent manner and can never be disputed again, that there are moves to ensure the country returns to legitimacy and normalcy following what the opposition claims was a stolen July 30 election.

"The opposition leader also wants to have dialogue centred around the economy to avert a complete meltdown.

"The fourth issue is around national healing, starting from the Gukurahundi massacres to the August 1 shootings.

"The MDC Alliance leader also wants measures put in place to allow constitutional Chapter 12 and 13 institutions — the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, among others, — to have complete independence without undue influence from political players."

The offer from Mnangagwa is a bribe to buy the opposition off given the regime is already under pressure from all the democratic nations who have pointedly refused to accept the 30 July elections as free, fair and credible. It is bad enough to have to deal with the illegitimate question coming from outsiders without Chamisa adding salt to the open wound!

As for Chamisa's five demands since when has MDC leaders ever stuck to their guns on anything.

"Morgan Tsvangirai was stupid to go into the 2013 elections with no verified voters' roll! I will not make the same mistake!" said Chamisa before this year's elections. The idiot went into the elections with no verified voters' roll!

If the MDC failed to get even one democratic reforms implemented during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when MDC had the majority in parliament and SADC backing what hope is there of getting any reform implemented now with no SADC and with Zanu PF having 2/3 majority in parliament.

The only hope of getting the reforms implemented now is by forcing Zanu PF to step down; the party rigged the elections and, per se, it is illegitimate. If Zanu PF is allowed to stay in power until 2023 then we can be certain of one thing – the party will see to it that no meaningful reforms are implemented leaving the door open for it to rig the elections.

Zanu PF rigged the 30th July 2018 elections, that is a historic fact. The only way we are ever going to stop the culture of rigged elections is by refusing to recognise and support any party that rigs elections because it is, per se, illegitimate.

MDC leaders are sell-outs; they sold-out during the 2008 to 2013 GNU by failing to implement even one reform in five years. They sold-out by participating in the 2013 and this year's elections, disregarding the warning not to until reforms are implemented. Whatever deal they make with this illegitimate Zanu PF junta we can be certain that it is NOT in the national interest.

We have a unique opportunity to pressure this illegitimate Zanu PF junta to step down to allow the appointment of an interim administration that will implement the reforms and hold the nation's first ever free, fair and credible elections.

Mnangagwa is hoping that Chamisa will accept his bribe and thus get some modicum of political credibility and legitimacy. This is just a divide and rule tactic and we, the ordinary Zimbabweans, must not fall for it. Chamisa and a few MDC leaders will get ministerial limos, generous salaries, etc. And we, povo, will get nothing other than another five years of command agriculture, corruption, etc. and, to crown it all, another rigged election in 2023!