Opinion / Columnist
Delaying elections is delaying the inevitable
28 Apr 2013 at 16:51hrs | Views
It is now in the public domain that the life of the current government ends on June 29 and elections should take place either on or before this date. Over the years Zimbabwe has religiously followed the constitution and elections were conducted on time.
Now every Zimbabwean has been psyched up for the elections. The election euphoria is now high across the political divide. People are now ready to choose a leadership which will run the country free of the discord they endured during the last four or so years. People are now ready to speak and no-one should now stand in their way. The Zimbabwean population has endured enough. The indecisiveness of the current leadership and the contradictions in policies that have characterised the current government should quickly be put behind us.
The people have learnt the hard way as a result of their choices which saw semi-illiterate MPs presiding over Zimbabweans' fate. Now that these MPs have tested power which they had never dreamt of, are now trying everything in their books of tricks to delay the inevitable by calling for the extension of the current government. They are forgetting that their mandate to be in government comes from the people.
They can delay the elections but Zimbabweans cannot allow them to have a day longer in government because by doing so is perpetuating the same discord, name calling, heckling and delays which were witnessed during the drafting of the constitution.
The emergence of MDC on the political arena in Zimbabwe was premised on the need to promote the rule of law and the basic tenets of democracy. One fundamental tenets of democracy is according citizens their right to elect people to represent them as and when the supreme law dictate. It is coming as a surprise that the same party MDC that has been clamouring for change and adherence to the rule of law, has decided to set minimum conditions to be met by the same government which they have been part to for over four years. These eight minimum conditions to be met before the elections have been work in progress for the past four years, and there is no guarantee that they will be met. This is a deliberate ploy by the two MDCs to lengthen their stay in government and ensure that they are on the payroll by default. Such a ploy is not going to work because Zimbabweans are now much wiser than they were in 2008.
To the ordinary Zimbabwean, MDC is seeking an opportunity to lengthen their stay in government unconstitutionally. The party is afraid of the inevitable, that is, losing the forthcoming elections. Events of the past weeks are testimony of the fear that has gripped the entirety of the MDCs leadership. The realisation that most of their MPs are no longer electable because they have been embroiled in corruption, the fact that their contribution in the august house was meaningless and retrogressive, and each time they made contributions they were regurgitating their masters' ideas, is sending shivers down their spines. Those who have been presiding over ministries as ministers have shown their inability and incompetence's in leading a country such as Zimbabwe.
Running to SADC, AU or any other country will not change the direction of the wind of change that is coming with the expiry of this current government. Critically, none of the conditions they have set warrant the delay of the elections. Aligning some of the legislative pieces to the new constitution should be the work of the new government, and should not be the preoccupation of the current government. MDC parties should ask people if they want to know whether they want elections or an extension of the tenure of the present government. Characteristically, as usual, their actions are predictable. They play delaying tactics. They go to the outside world seeking help on issues that do not warrant outside interference. It is for the same reason, bankruptcy of ideas, that saw MDC inviting the imposition of illegal sanctions which have now caused untold suffering on innocent ordinary Zimbabweans. But Zimbabweans are now tired of the deceitfulness of MDCs.
Over the past four years MDC-T in particular has won the most accolades of being the most prominent cry-baby. The leadership of MDC-T has shown that it has neither spine nor home grown solutions to issues relating to Zimbabwe hence its over reliance on the outside world. Zimbabweans, presumably, have learnt a good lesson from what have been happening in the dysfunctional inclusive government. The time has come for all Zimbabweans to correct the mistake of 2008, by choosing a government that is sensitive to the people's needs and guided by the people's wishes, and whose leadership has spine to withstand the pressure of outside interference. In MDC-T and MDC-N we have cry-babies who cannot be trusted to run the next government. Even the ranting vindictive Simba Makoni has proven that his eloquence is devoid of ideas of running Zimbabwe, hence he remains unelectable.
Zanu-PF remains the only best party to run the next government based on the strength of its people centred policies and programmes. It is the only party which will defend and guarantee the country's sovereignty. Zanu-PF should therefore not relent to the pressure of MDC surrogates and succumb to changing the election dates as prescribed in the constitution. Zimbabweans are ready to vote. Ask the people and they will tell you they can't wait any longer for elections. They are ready to choose men and women of virtue to lead the next government, and dust the cry-babies into oblivion.
MDC-T and MDC-N should understand that delaying the elections is not a solution but just delaying the inevitable. Zimbabweans are ready and a new Zanu-PF government is imminent.
Now every Zimbabwean has been psyched up for the elections. The election euphoria is now high across the political divide. People are now ready to choose a leadership which will run the country free of the discord they endured during the last four or so years. People are now ready to speak and no-one should now stand in their way. The Zimbabwean population has endured enough. The indecisiveness of the current leadership and the contradictions in policies that have characterised the current government should quickly be put behind us.
The people have learnt the hard way as a result of their choices which saw semi-illiterate MPs presiding over Zimbabweans' fate. Now that these MPs have tested power which they had never dreamt of, are now trying everything in their books of tricks to delay the inevitable by calling for the extension of the current government. They are forgetting that their mandate to be in government comes from the people.
They can delay the elections but Zimbabweans cannot allow them to have a day longer in government because by doing so is perpetuating the same discord, name calling, heckling and delays which were witnessed during the drafting of the constitution.
The emergence of MDC on the political arena in Zimbabwe was premised on the need to promote the rule of law and the basic tenets of democracy. One fundamental tenets of democracy is according citizens their right to elect people to represent them as and when the supreme law dictate. It is coming as a surprise that the same party MDC that has been clamouring for change and adherence to the rule of law, has decided to set minimum conditions to be met by the same government which they have been part to for over four years. These eight minimum conditions to be met before the elections have been work in progress for the past four years, and there is no guarantee that they will be met. This is a deliberate ploy by the two MDCs to lengthen their stay in government and ensure that they are on the payroll by default. Such a ploy is not going to work because Zimbabweans are now much wiser than they were in 2008.
To the ordinary Zimbabwean, MDC is seeking an opportunity to lengthen their stay in government unconstitutionally. The party is afraid of the inevitable, that is, losing the forthcoming elections. Events of the past weeks are testimony of the fear that has gripped the entirety of the MDCs leadership. The realisation that most of their MPs are no longer electable because they have been embroiled in corruption, the fact that their contribution in the august house was meaningless and retrogressive, and each time they made contributions they were regurgitating their masters' ideas, is sending shivers down their spines. Those who have been presiding over ministries as ministers have shown their inability and incompetence's in leading a country such as Zimbabwe.
Running to SADC, AU or any other country will not change the direction of the wind of change that is coming with the expiry of this current government. Critically, none of the conditions they have set warrant the delay of the elections. Aligning some of the legislative pieces to the new constitution should be the work of the new government, and should not be the preoccupation of the current government. MDC parties should ask people if they want to know whether they want elections or an extension of the tenure of the present government. Characteristically, as usual, their actions are predictable. They play delaying tactics. They go to the outside world seeking help on issues that do not warrant outside interference. It is for the same reason, bankruptcy of ideas, that saw MDC inviting the imposition of illegal sanctions which have now caused untold suffering on innocent ordinary Zimbabweans. But Zimbabweans are now tired of the deceitfulness of MDCs.
Over the past four years MDC-T in particular has won the most accolades of being the most prominent cry-baby. The leadership of MDC-T has shown that it has neither spine nor home grown solutions to issues relating to Zimbabwe hence its over reliance on the outside world. Zimbabweans, presumably, have learnt a good lesson from what have been happening in the dysfunctional inclusive government. The time has come for all Zimbabweans to correct the mistake of 2008, by choosing a government that is sensitive to the people's needs and guided by the people's wishes, and whose leadership has spine to withstand the pressure of outside interference. In MDC-T and MDC-N we have cry-babies who cannot be trusted to run the next government. Even the ranting vindictive Simba Makoni has proven that his eloquence is devoid of ideas of running Zimbabwe, hence he remains unelectable.
Zanu-PF remains the only best party to run the next government based on the strength of its people centred policies and programmes. It is the only party which will defend and guarantee the country's sovereignty. Zanu-PF should therefore not relent to the pressure of MDC surrogates and succumb to changing the election dates as prescribed in the constitution. Zimbabweans are ready to vote. Ask the people and they will tell you they can't wait any longer for elections. They are ready to choose men and women of virtue to lead the next government, and dust the cry-babies into oblivion.
MDC-T and MDC-N should understand that delaying the elections is not a solution but just delaying the inevitable. Zimbabweans are ready and a new Zanu-PF government is imminent.
Source - Kennedy Mapesa Mandaza is the Zanu-PF SA Secretary for Information and Publicity
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
