Opinion / Columnist
Alliance of tantrums
08 Jul 2018 at 16:42hrs | Views
The MDC Alliance have turned into political crybabies who are hellbent on attacking anything that involves the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
The opposition coalition is taking advantage of new ZEC Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba's receptive nature which is different from Rita Makarau's approach.
Led by Nelson Chamisa, the MDC Alliance has been shifting goalposts in their requests on how the election should be handled.
Initially they were demanding access to the voters roll, when it was availed they started asking for images to be availed as well.
After getting the voter's roll they started demanding to be part of the ballot printing process.
ZEC bent backwards and granted local political parties a sneak preview on the ballot printing process.
Instead of applauding ZEC for its improved approach, the big tent found a new reason for outrage.
They resuscitated claims by faceless internet mole Baba Jukwa which claimed that ZANU PF provided ZEC with a special ballot paper on which ink moves after a vote is cast.
Despite the Alliance being a collection of legal minds and so called fundis, they are believing the fake narrative and are running with it.
Soon, they intend to hold a demonstration demanding to be part of the ballot printing process.
This is despite the fact that MDC Alliance top chef, Douglas Mwonzora was one of the two key negotiators in the Constitution making process.
ZEC is guided by constitutional provisions whose content the MDC-T (which morphed into an Alliance) are signatory to.
An independent commission cannot run under the instruction of any political party according to the constitution.
If they wanted ZEC to print the ballot paper from Harvest House, then they should have included it in their submissions when clauses for the constitution were demanded.
They even had five years in Parliament, where they could have inflicted an amendment to the constitional provision guiding ZEC but no, they waited until three weeks towards election so they could litter the streets of Harare with yet another petition of frivolities.
Nelson Chamisa has been trying hard to discredit ZEC, a sign that the Kuwadzana born candidate could be developing cold feet.
He senses possible defeat but is trying to use ZEC as a scapegoat for his failure to dislodge ZANU PF.
The MDC Alliance are just being alarmists who, like their friend Dewa Mavinga are relying on fake news to generate clout.
It is surely silly season and the opposition is painting a portrait with moving parts.
The alarmist mentality has not gone unnoticed, recently activist Acie Lumumba implored Chamisa to step us and be presidential instead of whimping on every announcement made by ZEC.
The opposition coalition is taking advantage of new ZEC Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba's receptive nature which is different from Rita Makarau's approach.
Led by Nelson Chamisa, the MDC Alliance has been shifting goalposts in their requests on how the election should be handled.
Initially they were demanding access to the voters roll, when it was availed they started asking for images to be availed as well.
After getting the voter's roll they started demanding to be part of the ballot printing process.
ZEC bent backwards and granted local political parties a sneak preview on the ballot printing process.
Instead of applauding ZEC for its improved approach, the big tent found a new reason for outrage.
They resuscitated claims by faceless internet mole Baba Jukwa which claimed that ZANU PF provided ZEC with a special ballot paper on which ink moves after a vote is cast.
Despite the Alliance being a collection of legal minds and so called fundis, they are believing the fake narrative and are running with it.
Soon, they intend to hold a demonstration demanding to be part of the ballot printing process.
This is despite the fact that MDC Alliance top chef, Douglas Mwonzora was one of the two key negotiators in the Constitution making process.
ZEC is guided by constitutional provisions whose content the MDC-T (which morphed into an Alliance) are signatory to.
An independent commission cannot run under the instruction of any political party according to the constitution.
If they wanted ZEC to print the ballot paper from Harvest House, then they should have included it in their submissions when clauses for the constitution were demanded.
They even had five years in Parliament, where they could have inflicted an amendment to the constitional provision guiding ZEC but no, they waited until three weeks towards election so they could litter the streets of Harare with yet another petition of frivolities.
Nelson Chamisa has been trying hard to discredit ZEC, a sign that the Kuwadzana born candidate could be developing cold feet.
He senses possible defeat but is trying to use ZEC as a scapegoat for his failure to dislodge ZANU PF.
The MDC Alliance are just being alarmists who, like their friend Dewa Mavinga are relying on fake news to generate clout.
It is surely silly season and the opposition is painting a portrait with moving parts.
The alarmist mentality has not gone unnoticed, recently activist Acie Lumumba implored Chamisa to step us and be presidential instead of whimping on every announcement made by ZEC.
Source - Hubert Sithole
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