Opinion / Columnist
ED abandons free, fair and credible for gun-point 'peaceful' elections - another military assisted transition
10 May 2018 at 12:03hrs | Views
VOTE ED! DELIVERING PEACEFUL ELECTIONS TO THE PEOPLE.
So Zanu PF has given up on the promise for FREE, FAIR AND CREDIBLE ELECTIONS and settle for just peaceful elections. Worse still, there party is leaving us in not doubt that we are all expected to give up all hope for free and fair elections and fall in line or the junta will take away the peaceful elections.
ED promised free, fair and credible elections and we demand that he honours his promise. Everyone knows that there is a lot more to free and fair elections than the absence of Zanu PF thugs, war veterans and security personal harassing, beating, raping and even murdering innocent people.
These are peaceful election but on very strict Zanu PF terms - the party must be allowed to use all the other subtle ways such as having no verified voters' roll, no free media, billions of dollars of looted national wealth to bankroll its vote rigging schemes, etc., etc. And, as regards the harassment, beatings, etc. the party will hold the right to restart all these as and when it see it necessary to secure its landslide victory. Hence the reason the party has stubbornly refused to implement not even one meaningful reforms including giving the Police the independence and confidence arrest anyone including Zanu PF thugs who should break the peace.
It should be noted that it was none other than Emmerson Mnangagwa, Chiwenga and all those involved in the November 2017 coup who masterminded and carried out the subtle and violent vote rigging activities that has kept Zanu PF in power all these last 38 years.
A few weeks before the November 2017 military coup, Grace Mugabe had public complained that her husband was living in fear on a military coup. "Baba (as she called him) is sleeping with one eye open!"
At 94 and poor health, Robert Mugabe's mental faculties were not as sharp as they used to be. Even if he had one eye open on the fateful morning of 15 November 2017, he saw the coup posse come in but the mind did not register until it was too late. Mugabe was told in no uncertain terms that he must resign.
"This is not a coup but a military assisted transition!" then General and now Minister of Foreign Affair Sibosiso Moyo insisted.
The coup plotters carolled a bunch of Judges to whose instructions were simple - endorse the coup as legal and constitutional!
Now it is the nation's turn; we are all being harangued into an election process we all know is not free, fair and credible because not even one democratic reform has been implemented. Not one! Indeed all those who have dared call for reforms and free and fair elections have been abused and dismissed as "barking" dogs.
"Zanu PF ichatonga! Igotonga! Imi muchingohukura! Nokuhukura!" (Zanu PF will rule! And rule! Whilst you (calling for reforms) bark! And bark!)
It should be noted that it was none other than Emmerson Mnangagwa, Chiwenga and all those involved in the November 2017 coup who masterminded and carried out the subtle and violent vote rigging activities that has kept Zanu PF in power all these last 38 years.
"Events of November 2017 can be another important precedence through which the African community can take lessons from. Though President Mnangagwa's life was under threat prior to his assumption of power, his return and assumption of power has been unexpectedly and desirably peaceful, reflecting that the man is a real peace warrior," argued Chigumbu Warikandwa in Bulawayo 24.
"I smell a Nobel Peace Prize in the air!"
What!!! Noble Peace Prize for being the captain of the Zanu PF dictatorship which has ridden roughshod over a nation's freedoms, human rights, hopes and dreams for 38 years and counting!!
It should also be noted that Zimbabwe is in this economic and political hell-on-earth because the nation was stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical regime for 38 years. Most important of all, it MUST be noted that the country's only chance of ever getting out of this hell-hole is by ending the rotten political system in which those in power are not democratically accountable to the people.
It was one thing the Mnangagwa junta holding the gun to Mugabe's temple and forcing him to resign; he was a corrupt and murderous tyrant who was in State House illegally anyway. It is another matter the junta holding the nation to ransom forcing us to give up our right to free, fair and credible elections for a fig-leaf "peaceful elections"!
These elections are so flawed it is pointless taking part. It is already clear that many potential voters have already been denied the vote because the voter registration exercise was started very late. With no verifiable voters' roll it will be impossible to know who voted, stop multiple voting, etc.
Those who take part in these flawed and illegal elections are only helping to give the process some semblance of credibility.
With no democratic reforms in place these elections are NOT going to be free, fair and credible and therefore they must and will be declared null and void. If all ED can deliver is peaceful elections on his gun-marriage terms then he must step aside and allow someone who will deliver free, fair and credible elections as a fundamental right and a basis of good governance!
So Zanu PF has given up on the promise for FREE, FAIR AND CREDIBLE ELECTIONS and settle for just peaceful elections. Worse still, there party is leaving us in not doubt that we are all expected to give up all hope for free and fair elections and fall in line or the junta will take away the peaceful elections.
ED promised free, fair and credible elections and we demand that he honours his promise. Everyone knows that there is a lot more to free and fair elections than the absence of Zanu PF thugs, war veterans and security personal harassing, beating, raping and even murdering innocent people.
These are peaceful election but on very strict Zanu PF terms - the party must be allowed to use all the other subtle ways such as having no verified voters' roll, no free media, billions of dollars of looted national wealth to bankroll its vote rigging schemes, etc., etc. And, as regards the harassment, beatings, etc. the party will hold the right to restart all these as and when it see it necessary to secure its landslide victory. Hence the reason the party has stubbornly refused to implement not even one meaningful reforms including giving the Police the independence and confidence arrest anyone including Zanu PF thugs who should break the peace.
It should be noted that it was none other than Emmerson Mnangagwa, Chiwenga and all those involved in the November 2017 coup who masterminded and carried out the subtle and violent vote rigging activities that has kept Zanu PF in power all these last 38 years.
A few weeks before the November 2017 military coup, Grace Mugabe had public complained that her husband was living in fear on a military coup. "Baba (as she called him) is sleeping with one eye open!"
At 94 and poor health, Robert Mugabe's mental faculties were not as sharp as they used to be. Even if he had one eye open on the fateful morning of 15 November 2017, he saw the coup posse come in but the mind did not register until it was too late. Mugabe was told in no uncertain terms that he must resign.
"This is not a coup but a military assisted transition!" then General and now Minister of Foreign Affair Sibosiso Moyo insisted.
The coup plotters carolled a bunch of Judges to whose instructions were simple - endorse the coup as legal and constitutional!
Now it is the nation's turn; we are all being harangued into an election process we all know is not free, fair and credible because not even one democratic reform has been implemented. Not one! Indeed all those who have dared call for reforms and free and fair elections have been abused and dismissed as "barking" dogs.
"Zanu PF ichatonga! Igotonga! Imi muchingohukura! Nokuhukura!" (Zanu PF will rule! And rule! Whilst you (calling for reforms) bark! And bark!)
It should be noted that it was none other than Emmerson Mnangagwa, Chiwenga and all those involved in the November 2017 coup who masterminded and carried out the subtle and violent vote rigging activities that has kept Zanu PF in power all these last 38 years.
"Events of November 2017 can be another important precedence through which the African community can take lessons from. Though President Mnangagwa's life was under threat prior to his assumption of power, his return and assumption of power has been unexpectedly and desirably peaceful, reflecting that the man is a real peace warrior," argued Chigumbu Warikandwa in Bulawayo 24.
"I smell a Nobel Peace Prize in the air!"
What!!! Noble Peace Prize for being the captain of the Zanu PF dictatorship which has ridden roughshod over a nation's freedoms, human rights, hopes and dreams for 38 years and counting!!
It should also be noted that Zimbabwe is in this economic and political hell-on-earth because the nation was stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical regime for 38 years. Most important of all, it MUST be noted that the country's only chance of ever getting out of this hell-hole is by ending the rotten political system in which those in power are not democratically accountable to the people.
It was one thing the Mnangagwa junta holding the gun to Mugabe's temple and forcing him to resign; he was a corrupt and murderous tyrant who was in State House illegally anyway. It is another matter the junta holding the nation to ransom forcing us to give up our right to free, fair and credible elections for a fig-leaf "peaceful elections"!
These elections are so flawed it is pointless taking part. It is already clear that many potential voters have already been denied the vote because the voter registration exercise was started very late. With no verifiable voters' roll it will be impossible to know who voted, stop multiple voting, etc.
Those who take part in these flawed and illegal elections are only helping to give the process some semblance of credibility.
With no democratic reforms in place these elections are NOT going to be free, fair and credible and therefore they must and will be declared null and void. If all ED can deliver is peaceful elections on his gun-marriage terms then he must step aside and allow someone who will deliver free, fair and credible elections as a fundamental right and a basis of good governance!
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk
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.
