Opinion / Columnist
Chamisa gives EU MDC's 2018 'deal breaker' reforms - bluffing, no reforms and will never boycott
22 Mar 2018 at 03:26hrs | Views
MDC leaders are corrupt and incompetent, that is a given, and they have proven this beyond all reasonable doubt during the GNU when the failed to get even one democratic reform implemented in five years. Not even one reform in five years and yet the primary purpose of the GNU was to implement the raft of reforms agreed from the on-set in the 2008 Global Political Agreement.
SADC leaders gave MDC leaders a chance to redeem themselves after failing to get any reform implemented by advising them not to take part in the 2013 elections until the reforms are implemented. Sadly the advice fell on deaf ears and dull minds. MDC took part in the elections which Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig. That was the last straw that broke the SADC camel's back because the regional leaders have completely ignored the now late Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends. Cut off, the MDC have blundered from pillar to post with no coherent sense of direction and purpose.
An eight-member European Union Electoral Preparatory Team is in Zimbabwe and they had to meet MDC leaders as the country's main opposition party, such as it is. Of course, the members would have heard about the MDC's track record of breath-taking incompetence and downright selling-out. They came prepared to be disappointed and they were. They walked out of Morgan Richard Tsvangirai, the new name of the MDC-T HQ, gasping for a drink just to stiffen themselves up; I would have, in their shoes.
"The EU team wanted to appreciate the MDC Alliance's position around the conditions in the country ahead of the watershed elections due in the country in a few months' time," reported Luke Tamborinyoka.
"The people's President Adv. Chamisa said the MDC-T and the MDC Alliance had prepared comprehensive list of demands that would ensure a free, fair and credible election in Zimbabwe. He said the demands were enshrined in the MDC Alliance's Plan and Environment and Credible Election (PEACE) that will be launched in Harare today."
First there was National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) launched by MDC-T plus 17 other opposition parties with the usual song, dance, vigorous sloganeering and, most important of all, demand ultimatum – "No reform, no elections!" So, NERA has now been forgotten together with the ultimatum, in comes the new kid on the block, PEACE!
"The issues (PEACE demands) include but are not limited to the role of the military in Zimbabwe's elections, the independence of ZEC, 40 per cent of whose secretariat are either serving or retired members of the military, impartiality and free and equal coverage of all contesting parties by the public broadcaster, legislative reforms covering the Electoral Act," continued Luke.
"He (Chamisa) also spoke about the need for all contesting parties to audit the voters roll and the need to stem violence and intimidation so that the sovereign expression of the people is not curtailed.
"President Chamisa added that the firm printing the ballot paper needs to be agreed to by all contesting parties as well the auditing of the quality of that paper. He said the issues of the voters roll and the ballot paper were deal breakers, emphasizing that there will not be an election in the absence of an agreement on those important matters."
The EU members would have been told by told that SADC had advised MDC leaders not to take part in the 2013 elections without reforms but were ignored because of greed. The MDC leaders had failed to implement even one reform during the GNU because they had succumbed to Mugabe's bribery. Zanu PF has been careful to allow the opposition to win a few gravy train seats; bait to entice them to participate. Chamisa had told an MDC rally over the weekend that the party will not boycott elections.
So, it is out with NERA and "No reform, no elections!" And in with PEACE and its ultimatum; "No reform, no election but no, to boycotting elections!"
The nation is just waiting on President Mnangagwa to dissolve parliament and name the voting date for the elections. It is expected to be August, at the latest, that is five months to voting day. No one in their right mind would be expecting any meaningful reforms to be implemented this late in the process and so all these PEACE demands are just theatrical hot air!
The reality on the ground is the elections are going ahead with no free media, no verified voters' roll, a hamstrung ZEC, a hamstrung Police, etc., etc. The EU elections observers are being brought into the country to observer the elections and, at the end of the day, make a judgement call whether the elections were free, fair and credible!
The foreign observer can understand why President Mnangagwa and his Junta are going through with this charade – they are desperate to hang on to power and know holding free, fair and credible elections is a luxury they cannot afford. What the observer will fail to understand is why Chamisa and his opposition friends are insisting in taking part in these flawed and illegitimate electoral processes time and time again?
"If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!" SADC leaders had warned Morgan Tsvangirai and the rest of the MDC leaders in 2013.
The EU election observers could see why SADC had said so, it is obvious. What they will never ever understand why MDC leaders did not listen then and, worse still, are not listening now!
"Make it a double, double! And I want it straight!" They have heard of MDC leaders' breath-taking incompetence but they would have never believed that anyone could be this incompetent!
When the voting is done, the EU election observers must declare the result null and void - it is impossible for anyone to hold free, fair and credible elections with no verified voters' roll, no free media, hamstrung ZEC, etc., etc.
Indeed the observers can judge the elections null and void now just as SADC had declare "elections are done" a month before the July 2013 elections.
It beggars belief why anyone, anyone at all of sound mind would participate in an elections knowing it has been rigged already, especially when the rigging has been going on for the last 38 years!
Nelson Chamisa, "the people's President!" How is that possible that such a corrupt, incompetent individual can even be an aspiring presidential candidate! No wonder Zimbabwe is in a real mess and the future is grime with the nation caught between the rock and the deep abyss, between a Junta thug and an incompetent and corrupt empty drum.
Declaring the 2018 elections null and void will offer the country a real chance to finally implement the democratic reforms and clear the political deck. The cut and thrust of free debate and democratic competition will weed out all the sell-outs and corrupt, vote rigging and murderous thugs of yesteryears allowing competent individuals to emerge.
SADC leaders gave MDC leaders a chance to redeem themselves after failing to get any reform implemented by advising them not to take part in the 2013 elections until the reforms are implemented. Sadly the advice fell on deaf ears and dull minds. MDC took part in the elections which Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig. That was the last straw that broke the SADC camel's back because the regional leaders have completely ignored the now late Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends. Cut off, the MDC have blundered from pillar to post with no coherent sense of direction and purpose.
An eight-member European Union Electoral Preparatory Team is in Zimbabwe and they had to meet MDC leaders as the country's main opposition party, such as it is. Of course, the members would have heard about the MDC's track record of breath-taking incompetence and downright selling-out. They came prepared to be disappointed and they were. They walked out of Morgan Richard Tsvangirai, the new name of the MDC-T HQ, gasping for a drink just to stiffen themselves up; I would have, in their shoes.
"The EU team wanted to appreciate the MDC Alliance's position around the conditions in the country ahead of the watershed elections due in the country in a few months' time," reported Luke Tamborinyoka.
"The people's President Adv. Chamisa said the MDC-T and the MDC Alliance had prepared comprehensive list of demands that would ensure a free, fair and credible election in Zimbabwe. He said the demands were enshrined in the MDC Alliance's Plan and Environment and Credible Election (PEACE) that will be launched in Harare today."
First there was National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) launched by MDC-T plus 17 other opposition parties with the usual song, dance, vigorous sloganeering and, most important of all, demand ultimatum – "No reform, no elections!" So, NERA has now been forgotten together with the ultimatum, in comes the new kid on the block, PEACE!
"The issues (PEACE demands) include but are not limited to the role of the military in Zimbabwe's elections, the independence of ZEC, 40 per cent of whose secretariat are either serving or retired members of the military, impartiality and free and equal coverage of all contesting parties by the public broadcaster, legislative reforms covering the Electoral Act," continued Luke.
"He (Chamisa) also spoke about the need for all contesting parties to audit the voters roll and the need to stem violence and intimidation so that the sovereign expression of the people is not curtailed.
"President Chamisa added that the firm printing the ballot paper needs to be agreed to by all contesting parties as well the auditing of the quality of that paper. He said the issues of the voters roll and the ballot paper were deal breakers, emphasizing that there will not be an election in the absence of an agreement on those important matters."
The EU members would have been told by told that SADC had advised MDC leaders not to take part in the 2013 elections without reforms but were ignored because of greed. The MDC leaders had failed to implement even one reform during the GNU because they had succumbed to Mugabe's bribery. Zanu PF has been careful to allow the opposition to win a few gravy train seats; bait to entice them to participate. Chamisa had told an MDC rally over the weekend that the party will not boycott elections.
So, it is out with NERA and "No reform, no elections!" And in with PEACE and its ultimatum; "No reform, no election but no, to boycotting elections!"
The nation is just waiting on President Mnangagwa to dissolve parliament and name the voting date for the elections. It is expected to be August, at the latest, that is five months to voting day. No one in their right mind would be expecting any meaningful reforms to be implemented this late in the process and so all these PEACE demands are just theatrical hot air!
The reality on the ground is the elections are going ahead with no free media, no verified voters' roll, a hamstrung ZEC, a hamstrung Police, etc., etc. The EU elections observers are being brought into the country to observer the elections and, at the end of the day, make a judgement call whether the elections were free, fair and credible!
The foreign observer can understand why President Mnangagwa and his Junta are going through with this charade – they are desperate to hang on to power and know holding free, fair and credible elections is a luxury they cannot afford. What the observer will fail to understand is why Chamisa and his opposition friends are insisting in taking part in these flawed and illegitimate electoral processes time and time again?
"If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!" SADC leaders had warned Morgan Tsvangirai and the rest of the MDC leaders in 2013.
The EU election observers could see why SADC had said so, it is obvious. What they will never ever understand why MDC leaders did not listen then and, worse still, are not listening now!
"Make it a double, double! And I want it straight!" They have heard of MDC leaders' breath-taking incompetence but they would have never believed that anyone could be this incompetent!
When the voting is done, the EU election observers must declare the result null and void - it is impossible for anyone to hold free, fair and credible elections with no verified voters' roll, no free media, hamstrung ZEC, etc., etc.
Indeed the observers can judge the elections null and void now just as SADC had declare "elections are done" a month before the July 2013 elections.
It beggars belief why anyone, anyone at all of sound mind would participate in an elections knowing it has been rigged already, especially when the rigging has been going on for the last 38 years!
Nelson Chamisa, "the people's President!" How is that possible that such a corrupt, incompetent individual can even be an aspiring presidential candidate! No wonder Zimbabwe is in a real mess and the future is grime with the nation caught between the rock and the deep abyss, between a Junta thug and an incompetent and corrupt empty drum.
Declaring the 2018 elections null and void will offer the country a real chance to finally implement the democratic reforms and clear the political deck. The cut and thrust of free debate and democratic competition will weed out all the sell-outs and corrupt, vote rigging and murderous thugs of yesteryears allowing competent individuals to emerge.
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk
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