Opinion / Columnist
Opposition want UN to handle 2018 elections - the only sensible thing out of that lot
23 Mar 2017 at 01:37hrs | Views
"Zimbabwe opposition want United Nation to handle 2018 elections" read the headlines of Spotlight Zimbabwe article quoting AP. Given Zimbabwe's endless political paralysis, it is probably the most sensible thing our breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent opposition has ever said in the last ten years! The truth is Zimbabwe should not be in this political mess if it was not for the blundering incompetence of out politically inapt opposition!
"The opposition parties have demanded her (Rita Makarau, ZEC chairperson) resignation, saying she is trying to help 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe win another five-year term. They say the U.N. should handle the 2018 vote," said the report
"A coalition of 13 opposition parties is planning a protest rally in the capital, Harare, on Wednesday over what it considers actions aimed at rigging next year's vote."
If anyone of these opposition politicians had any common sense then they would know that asking for Rita Makarau to be fired as ZEC chairperson will accomplish nothing as President Mugabe will only appoint someone equally bad or worse!
Surely the solution here is not to change the individual but rather to change the corrupt system that has allowed President Mugabe to corrupt not just ZEC but all the other state institutions like Police, Judiciary, Public Media, etc. making it impossible for the country to hold free, fair and credible elections.
During the GNU, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were supposed to implement the raft of democratic reforms designed to server all the dictatorial controls President Mugabe has created that have turned ZEC, etc. into just another Zanu PF department, there to deliver the tyrant's no-regime-change mantra. The GNU was supposed to last 18 months in the end it lasted five years and still MDC failed to get even one reform implemented. Not one!
SADC leaders warned MDC leaders not to contest the July 2013 election with no reforms in place. MDC ignored the warning and, as expected, Zanu PF blatantly rigged the elections. SADC leaders complained of MDC leaders "enjoying themselves whilst in the GNU and forgetting why they were there," in sheer frustration.
It is no surprise that SADC has been very reluctant to be involved in Zimbabwe's political mess, especially when, even to this day, some MDC leaders who were in the GNU continue to blame SADC for what happened. No doubt the UN too would not want to be involved particularly if they will have to work with the same corrupt and incompetent GNU politicians!
MDC politicians resolved after the rigged July 2013 elections that they will never again contest any elections until the reforms are implemented. Not even one reform has been implemented as of today, 23 March 2017. Not one!
The protest rally set for 22 March 2018 took place, as planned. A number of the country's opposition parties had a representative in attendance at the rally. Each party expressed its support for the much talked about grand coalition of the opposition parties and the determination to contest next year's elections. They are all contesting knowing fully well that not even one democratic reform has been implemented and therefore Zanu PF will, once again, blatantly rig the vote just as it did in 2013.
So, what is the use of protesting Zanu PF "actions aimed at rigging next year's vote" in one breath then in the next breath assure Zanu PF that you intent to contest the elections regardless of the vote rigging.
"The U.N. has not involved itself in previous Zimbabwe presidential elections," concluded the AP report.
Whilst it would be greatly appreciated for the UN to be help end Zimbabwe's political paralysis. It has been going on since 1980 and has caused so much human suffering and over 30 000 cold-blooded political murders. No doubt the UN will know that it will take a lot more than replace Justice Rita Makarau and her ZEC staff to deliver free, fair and credible elections.
We need all the democratic reforms agreed at the formation of the GNU implemented and the time for the democratic culture to settle and elect competent leaders to replace these breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent lot; Mugabe, Tsvangirai, etc.
"The opposition parties have demanded her (Rita Makarau, ZEC chairperson) resignation, saying she is trying to help 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe win another five-year term. They say the U.N. should handle the 2018 vote," said the report
"A coalition of 13 opposition parties is planning a protest rally in the capital, Harare, on Wednesday over what it considers actions aimed at rigging next year's vote."
If anyone of these opposition politicians had any common sense then they would know that asking for Rita Makarau to be fired as ZEC chairperson will accomplish nothing as President Mugabe will only appoint someone equally bad or worse!
Surely the solution here is not to change the individual but rather to change the corrupt system that has allowed President Mugabe to corrupt not just ZEC but all the other state institutions like Police, Judiciary, Public Media, etc. making it impossible for the country to hold free, fair and credible elections.
During the GNU, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were supposed to implement the raft of democratic reforms designed to server all the dictatorial controls President Mugabe has created that have turned ZEC, etc. into just another Zanu PF department, there to deliver the tyrant's no-regime-change mantra. The GNU was supposed to last 18 months in the end it lasted five years and still MDC failed to get even one reform implemented. Not one!
SADC leaders warned MDC leaders not to contest the July 2013 election with no reforms in place. MDC ignored the warning and, as expected, Zanu PF blatantly rigged the elections. SADC leaders complained of MDC leaders "enjoying themselves whilst in the GNU and forgetting why they were there," in sheer frustration.
It is no surprise that SADC has been very reluctant to be involved in Zimbabwe's political mess, especially when, even to this day, some MDC leaders who were in the GNU continue to blame SADC for what happened. No doubt the UN too would not want to be involved particularly if they will have to work with the same corrupt and incompetent GNU politicians!
MDC politicians resolved after the rigged July 2013 elections that they will never again contest any elections until the reforms are implemented. Not even one reform has been implemented as of today, 23 March 2017. Not one!
The protest rally set for 22 March 2018 took place, as planned. A number of the country's opposition parties had a representative in attendance at the rally. Each party expressed its support for the much talked about grand coalition of the opposition parties and the determination to contest next year's elections. They are all contesting knowing fully well that not even one democratic reform has been implemented and therefore Zanu PF will, once again, blatantly rig the vote just as it did in 2013.
So, what is the use of protesting Zanu PF "actions aimed at rigging next year's vote" in one breath then in the next breath assure Zanu PF that you intent to contest the elections regardless of the vote rigging.
"The U.N. has not involved itself in previous Zimbabwe presidential elections," concluded the AP report.
Whilst it would be greatly appreciated for the UN to be help end Zimbabwe's political paralysis. It has been going on since 1980 and has caused so much human suffering and over 30 000 cold-blooded political murders. No doubt the UN will know that it will take a lot more than replace Justice Rita Makarau and her ZEC staff to deliver free, fair and credible elections.
We need all the democratic reforms agreed at the formation of the GNU implemented and the time for the democratic culture to settle and elect competent leaders to replace these breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent lot; Mugabe, Tsvangirai, etc.
Source - Patrick Guramatunhu
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.
