Opinion / Columnist
Mwonzora calls for 'dialogue fo build synergies' - had cure since 2008, reforms, lacked competent leader to implement
24 Jan 2021 at 08:21hrs | Views
When some people have nothing better to say, the repeat themselves. Mwonzora is back at calling for national dialogue as the solution to Zimbabwe's economic meltdown and political paralysis.
"He envisages that such a dialogue to build synergies in nation building should be broadened to include other political players, churches and civic society," reported acting MDC-T spokesperson, Witness Dube.
"President Mwonzora indicated that as a party, we have not been approached by any institution in that regard, but welcomed a resolution mandating the party to take initiatives on the same."
The 2008 national dialogue sponsored by SADC did come up with a raft of democratic reforms, the cure the nation had been waiting for, and the Zanu PF and MDC leaders, partners in the 2008 to 2013 GNU, were tasked to implement the reforms. Zimbabwe is still a Banana Republic governed by corrupt, incompetent, vote-rigging and murderous thugs to this day because Zanu PF and MDC leaders failed to implement the agreed reforms.
We do not need a new national dialogue to come up with a new list of democratic reforms; the raft of reforms from 2008 is fine. What we need is to first of all acknowledge that it was Zanu PF and MDC leaders who failed to implement the reforms last time and hence the reason they cannot be entrusted to carryout the task again.
Zanu PF leaders knew that implementing the reforms and holding free, fair and credible elections would end the party's iron grip on power. The situation has not changed; Mnangagwa and company will never ever reform themselves out of office.
Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC leaders with the trappings of high office and whilst they had their snout in the feeding trough the forgot about implementing the democratic reforms for the duration of the GNU. MDC leaders proved then beyond all doubt that they were corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent; there is no cure for that and so they are to this day corrupt and incompetent.
When Douglas Mwonzora was elected the leader of the MDC-T, taking over from Madam Thokozani Khupe, one of his first "executive orders" was to recognise Mnangagwa as the legitimate president and therefore that the July 2018 elections as free, fair and credible. Why both Mwonzora and Mnangagwa have been calling for the national dialogue leading to a new GNU arrangement, Mnangagwa opted for POLAD, is a mystery.
The 2008 to 2013 GNU was necessary because the 2008 elections were marred by the blatant Zanu PF cheating in the March vote followed by the wanton violence in the run-off. Everyone, including SADC and AU, refused to accept such a flawed process could produce a legitimate government. The GNU was compromise and GNU partners were tasked to implement the democratic reforms to stop a repeat of the 2008 election fiasco.
If the July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible, as both Mnangagwa and Mwonzora would agree, then there will be no need to implement any democratic reforms. Reforms are implemented to stop elections being rigged.
Zanu PF has a 2/3 majority in parliament and can therefore govern on its own without the needing any opposition coalition backing.
A healthy and functioning democracy need an independent opposition party to hold the government of the day to democratic account. And so, a Zanu PF and MDC coalition will not be in the interest of the nation!
Actually, Douglas Mwonzora is wrong; the July 2018 elections were not free, fair and credible. Zanu PF rigged the elections, the regime is legitimate. The EU, Americans, the Commonwealth and all the other election observers condemn the elections as a farce. ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters' roll!
It would have been much easier to stop Zanu PF declaring itself the legitimate government if the Zimbabwe opposition had not participating the elections in such numbers. There is no denying that by participating in the flawed and illegal elections MDC and the rest of Zimbabwe's opposition camp, gave the vote rigging Zanu PF some modicum of legitimacy.
The ideal solution would be to get Zanu PF to step down, even this late in the day, to create the political space to appoint a interim administration tasked to implement the 2008 raft of democratic reforms to restore all the individual freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections.
The dialogue Mwonzora is calling for will have Zanu PF playing a pivotal role in the interim administration and it will never implement the required reforms, as stated above. Mwonzora's proposal is a waste of time.
If Zanu PF will not accept stepping down, as is almost certain it will not, then the party must be left in no doubt that the 2023 elections will be declared null and void if the plebiscite goes ahead without first implementing the democratic reforms; even if all the usual opposition opportunists participated!
Declaring the elections null and void will create the political space to appoint the interim administration of competent and visionary men and women who will, finally, implement the reforms.
Zimbabwe has been stuck with this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship for 40 years and counting. The nation has failed to remove the party from power because it rigged the elections. And four decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have left the nation in economic ruins. The coronavirus pandemic has only turned a tragic situation into a catastrophe of Biblical proportion.
What Zimbabwe needs to get out of this hell-on-earth Zanu PF has dragged the nation into is implement the democratic reforms and finally cure itself of the curse of rigged elections and bad governance.
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are holding the nation to ransom and stopping the reforms being implemented. This cannot be allow to continue!
If Zanu PF does not implement the democratic reforms before the 2023 elections then the party must be forced to step down to allow others to implement the reforms. Period!
"He envisages that such a dialogue to build synergies in nation building should be broadened to include other political players, churches and civic society," reported acting MDC-T spokesperson, Witness Dube.
"President Mwonzora indicated that as a party, we have not been approached by any institution in that regard, but welcomed a resolution mandating the party to take initiatives on the same."
The 2008 national dialogue sponsored by SADC did come up with a raft of democratic reforms, the cure the nation had been waiting for, and the Zanu PF and MDC leaders, partners in the 2008 to 2013 GNU, were tasked to implement the reforms. Zimbabwe is still a Banana Republic governed by corrupt, incompetent, vote-rigging and murderous thugs to this day because Zanu PF and MDC leaders failed to implement the agreed reforms.
We do not need a new national dialogue to come up with a new list of democratic reforms; the raft of reforms from 2008 is fine. What we need is to first of all acknowledge that it was Zanu PF and MDC leaders who failed to implement the reforms last time and hence the reason they cannot be entrusted to carryout the task again.
Zanu PF leaders knew that implementing the reforms and holding free, fair and credible elections would end the party's iron grip on power. The situation has not changed; Mnangagwa and company will never ever reform themselves out of office.
Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC leaders with the trappings of high office and whilst they had their snout in the feeding trough the forgot about implementing the democratic reforms for the duration of the GNU. MDC leaders proved then beyond all doubt that they were corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent; there is no cure for that and so they are to this day corrupt and incompetent.
When Douglas Mwonzora was elected the leader of the MDC-T, taking over from Madam Thokozani Khupe, one of his first "executive orders" was to recognise Mnangagwa as the legitimate president and therefore that the July 2018 elections as free, fair and credible. Why both Mwonzora and Mnangagwa have been calling for the national dialogue leading to a new GNU arrangement, Mnangagwa opted for POLAD, is a mystery.
The 2008 to 2013 GNU was necessary because the 2008 elections were marred by the blatant Zanu PF cheating in the March vote followed by the wanton violence in the run-off. Everyone, including SADC and AU, refused to accept such a flawed process could produce a legitimate government. The GNU was compromise and GNU partners were tasked to implement the democratic reforms to stop a repeat of the 2008 election fiasco.
If the July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible, as both Mnangagwa and Mwonzora would agree, then there will be no need to implement any democratic reforms. Reforms are implemented to stop elections being rigged.
Zanu PF has a 2/3 majority in parliament and can therefore govern on its own without the needing any opposition coalition backing.
A healthy and functioning democracy need an independent opposition party to hold the government of the day to democratic account. And so, a Zanu PF and MDC coalition will not be in the interest of the nation!
Actually, Douglas Mwonzora is wrong; the July 2018 elections were not free, fair and credible. Zanu PF rigged the elections, the regime is legitimate. The EU, Americans, the Commonwealth and all the other election observers condemn the elections as a farce. ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters' roll!
It would have been much easier to stop Zanu PF declaring itself the legitimate government if the Zimbabwe opposition had not participating the elections in such numbers. There is no denying that by participating in the flawed and illegal elections MDC and the rest of Zimbabwe's opposition camp, gave the vote rigging Zanu PF some modicum of legitimacy.
The ideal solution would be to get Zanu PF to step down, even this late in the day, to create the political space to appoint a interim administration tasked to implement the 2008 raft of democratic reforms to restore all the individual freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections.
The dialogue Mwonzora is calling for will have Zanu PF playing a pivotal role in the interim administration and it will never implement the required reforms, as stated above. Mwonzora's proposal is a waste of time.
If Zanu PF will not accept stepping down, as is almost certain it will not, then the party must be left in no doubt that the 2023 elections will be declared null and void if the plebiscite goes ahead without first implementing the democratic reforms; even if all the usual opposition opportunists participated!
Declaring the elections null and void will create the political space to appoint the interim administration of competent and visionary men and women who will, finally, implement the reforms.
Zimbabwe has been stuck with this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship for 40 years and counting. The nation has failed to remove the party from power because it rigged the elections. And four decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have left the nation in economic ruins. The coronavirus pandemic has only turned a tragic situation into a catastrophe of Biblical proportion.
What Zimbabwe needs to get out of this hell-on-earth Zanu PF has dragged the nation into is implement the democratic reforms and finally cure itself of the curse of rigged elections and bad governance.
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are holding the nation to ransom and stopping the reforms being implemented. This cannot be allow to continue!
If Zanu PF does not implement the democratic reforms before the 2023 elections then the party must be forced to step down to allow others to implement the reforms. Period!
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.com
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