Opinion / Columnist
MDC-T demand voters roll before elections - nonsense we must demand all reforms!
17 Sep 2014 at 07:51hrs | Views
The sheer incompetence of the MDC-T is truly breath-taking.
According to a report in New Zimbabwe, MDC-T spokesman, Douglas Mwonzora, told a public meeting in Harare on Monday that they had now learnt their lessons and will not participate in a new election without a credible voter register.
He said they will only contest in the poll when the registrar general showed them the real voters' roll and having confirmed its authenticity.
"The problem is that we seem not to have one voters' roll in the Registrar General's office," Mwonzora said.
"This was tested in Harare North where at one time the voters' roll showed that there were 52,000 people, I am not so sure about the figure and then the next one said there were 20 000 then the next one there were 49 000 people in that same constituency."
The question one has to ask was the lack of a voters roll the only thing amiss in last year's elections? Would we have had free, fair and credible elections if a definitive voters roll had been produced on time? The answer is a resounding NO!
Last year's elections were not free, fair and credible because the media, the Police, ZEC and all the other state institutions were not independent and impartial. The Police did not investigate who the bussed in voters where, for example. Although there had not been any of the wanton violence of past elections in last year's elections there is every reason to believe this scourge will be back in future elections because Zanu PF will not the money to spend bribing every Nikuv, Mujimba and Chimbwido across the land as happed in last year's elections.
If we are serious about hold free, fair and credible elections in just in 2018 but in all future elections from henceforth then we must implement all the democratic reforms agreed the GPA. Scrap the weak and feeble Copac constitution and replace it with a truly democratic constitution. Let us do this properly and stop messing around.
It is pathetic that 34 years after independence millions of Zimbabweans are still to cast a free and democratic vote and even the right to life is not guaranteed! These rights and freedoms are deliverable which, by right should have been delivered and guaranteed to all on 18 April 1980, the day Zimbabwe attained her independence.
We must do whatever is necessary, implement all the necessary reforms, to deliver and guarantee free, fair and credible elections and all the other freedoms and human rights to all Zimbabweans come the next elections. We must settle this once and once for all!
We must reject MDC-T's stupid proposal to go to the next elections with one thing sorted but with a whole raft of others issues outstanding and with the certainty the elections will, once again, be rigged!
According to a report in New Zimbabwe, MDC-T spokesman, Douglas Mwonzora, told a public meeting in Harare on Monday that they had now learnt their lessons and will not participate in a new election without a credible voter register.
He said they will only contest in the poll when the registrar general showed them the real voters' roll and having confirmed its authenticity.
"The problem is that we seem not to have one voters' roll in the Registrar General's office," Mwonzora said.
"This was tested in Harare North where at one time the voters' roll showed that there were 52,000 people, I am not so sure about the figure and then the next one said there were 20 000 then the next one there were 49 000 people in that same constituency."
The question one has to ask was the lack of a voters roll the only thing amiss in last year's elections? Would we have had free, fair and credible elections if a definitive voters roll had been produced on time? The answer is a resounding NO!
If we are serious about hold free, fair and credible elections in just in 2018 but in all future elections from henceforth then we must implement all the democratic reforms agreed the GPA. Scrap the weak and feeble Copac constitution and replace it with a truly democratic constitution. Let us do this properly and stop messing around.
It is pathetic that 34 years after independence millions of Zimbabweans are still to cast a free and democratic vote and even the right to life is not guaranteed! These rights and freedoms are deliverable which, by right should have been delivered and guaranteed to all on 18 April 1980, the day Zimbabwe attained her independence.
We must do whatever is necessary, implement all the necessary reforms, to deliver and guarantee free, fair and credible elections and all the other freedoms and human rights to all Zimbabweans come the next elections. We must settle this once and once for all!
We must reject MDC-T's stupid proposal to go to the next elections with one thing sorted but with a whole raft of others issues outstanding and with the certainty the elections will, once again, be rigged!
Source - Wilbert Mukori
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