Opinion / Columnist
'Stopping by-elections will stifle democracy' - oxymoron, can't stifle what has never existed.
05 Oct 2020 at 08:17hrs | Views
"Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga's suspension of by-elections cannot be read in isolation as it is part of a well-thought-out strategy to stifle democracy in Zimbabwe," reported The Standard.
"Chiwenga on Friday amended the Covid-19 regulations to stop the holding of parliamentary and municipal by-elections scheduled for December 5.
"The Covid-19 pandemic was used as a perfect cover for the latest grand scheme to weaken the mainstream opposition party through the misuse of the law and pure political skulduggery."
Zimbabwe is not a democracy and the real "political skulduggery" is to suggest that suspending a flawed and illegal election process is "a well-thought-out strategy to stifle democracy." This is an oxymoron, you cannot stifle something that is not there.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections to secure a 2/3 majority in parliament and the presidency. Whether these by-elections go ahead or not that will not change the political arithmetic since the by-elections are for seats of recalled opposition MPs and councillors.
Nelson Chamisa and his friends in the opposition camp participated in the July 2018 elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging those elections. The opposition politicians also knew that Zanu PF was going to allow the opposition to win a few gravy train seats, bait to entice them to participate. And that was what Chamisa et al were after.
By participating in the flawed and illegal elections the opposition have, per se, given credibility to the election process and, by extension, given some modicum of legitimacy to the vote-rigging Zanu PF regime.
Of course, MDC leaders and all the opposition participating in the flawed elections have all sold-out on the cause of implementing the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
What Zimbabwe needs is to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
Without reforms Zanu PF will continue to blatantly rig the elections and those calling for these flawed and illegal elections to continue, under the pretext they are fighting for democracy, are not doing Zimbabwe any favours.
Zimbabwe is in this economic mess, the economy is in total meltdown and millions are living in heartbreaking abject poverty, and political paralysis, with corrupt and tyrannical ruling party and an equally corrupt and useless opposition, because the country has failed to hold free, fair and credible elections.
40 years and counting of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have left the country economic ruins. And 40 years of stifled debate and democratic oppression has forced all competent man and woman out of politics leaving the field open to corrupt and ruthless thugs.
After 40 years of rigged elections we should be crystal clear what we want: free, fair and credible elections! We should also be crystal clear what we do not want: flawed and illegal elections, including by-elections.
"Chiwenga on Friday amended the Covid-19 regulations to stop the holding of parliamentary and municipal by-elections scheduled for December 5.
"The Covid-19 pandemic was used as a perfect cover for the latest grand scheme to weaken the mainstream opposition party through the misuse of the law and pure political skulduggery."
Zimbabwe is not a democracy and the real "political skulduggery" is to suggest that suspending a flawed and illegal election process is "a well-thought-out strategy to stifle democracy." This is an oxymoron, you cannot stifle something that is not there.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections to secure a 2/3 majority in parliament and the presidency. Whether these by-elections go ahead or not that will not change the political arithmetic since the by-elections are for seats of recalled opposition MPs and councillors.
Nelson Chamisa and his friends in the opposition camp participated in the July 2018 elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging those elections. The opposition politicians also knew that Zanu PF was going to allow the opposition to win a few gravy train seats, bait to entice them to participate. And that was what Chamisa et al were after.
Of course, MDC leaders and all the opposition participating in the flawed elections have all sold-out on the cause of implementing the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
What Zimbabwe needs is to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
Without reforms Zanu PF will continue to blatantly rig the elections and those calling for these flawed and illegal elections to continue, under the pretext they are fighting for democracy, are not doing Zimbabwe any favours.
Zimbabwe is in this economic mess, the economy is in total meltdown and millions are living in heartbreaking abject poverty, and political paralysis, with corrupt and tyrannical ruling party and an equally corrupt and useless opposition, because the country has failed to hold free, fair and credible elections.
40 years and counting of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have left the country economic ruins. And 40 years of stifled debate and democratic oppression has forced all competent man and woman out of politics leaving the field open to corrupt and ruthless thugs.
After 40 years of rigged elections we should be crystal clear what we want: free, fair and credible elections! We should also be crystal clear what we do not want: flawed and illegal elections, including by-elections.
Source - zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
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