Why Chamisa doesn't want elections

MDC-T President Nelson Chamisa doesn't seem too keen on elections and democracy.

For many months now, Chamisa has been bragging that he doesn't even need the elections because he has already tallied the votes and he is very far ahead. He has said that if he doesn't win by a landslide then the elections must be rigged.

This absurd and abhorrent view of democracy could doom Zimbabwe to a spiral of violence and unrest if Chamisa loses, as suggested he will by every single poll of the campaign thus far.

Even Chamisa's demands are erratic and nonsensical.

On the one hand, he made a stunning demand by calling for the disbandment of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the constitution of an independent commission made up Sadc (Southern African Development Community) and the AU (African Union) to preside over the July 30 elections.

So Chamisa obviously trusts Sadc, but seemingly ignores their advice when they recently said that Zimbabwe is on track to record credible, free and fair elections as the pre-election environment has been peaceful while the majority of people are confident of the electoral processes.

Furthermore, Chamisa was a part of a Committee on Standing Rules and Orders, a policy making organ of Parliament, that participated in the appointment of ZEC commissioners.

Basically, Chamisa will say anything and try any stunt to distract the voters from the compelling truth that his campaign is running away from him and his early honeymoon period as a young, new and charismatic leader, who used the sympathy for Morgan Tsvangirai's death, is now running on fumes only.

Chamisa knows well that he will lose because like all candidates he will have undertaken significant polling. This polling data will be laid out bare to him, so he and his advisors are trying to deflect and distract from his eventual loss by claiming that he will win regardless.

He will use a well-worn and sadly predictable tactic of claiming that he has won ahead of the Zec announcement and full tally, even though it is illegal.

We all know that Chamisa and his MDC officials do not have the ability to tally results from across the country but many will still fall for his histrionics nonetheless. Chamisa knows that he has a loyal and blinded base who will take to the streets when he says, even if it means plunging the country into crisis and chaos.

It is clear that while young and speaking the right words about democracy and freedom, Chamisa finds these concepts foreign. A leader who came in through the backdoor in the MDC-T, used violence to silence opponents and critics and refuses the holding of primary elections cannot wake up and want to take part in national democratic processes, when he does not entrench the same in his political party.

His repeated assertions that these elections will be or are being rigged are never backed up by a shred of evidence and are mere hearsay and conjecture presented as fact.

"I know that if I don't win then it's not a free and fair election," Chamisa repeatedly asserts.

This is the language of an autocrat and a dictator who wants to rob the people of their voice. He doesn't want to have to bother with pesky elections because he stands to lose.

Chamisa prefers the outcome without the process.

Unfortunately, this is not the way our new Zimbabwe works. We must have open, free and fair elections which will be watched over by unbiased and neutral observers and then the constitutionally legislated body must present the tallies with no interference.

Sadly, this is not what Chamisa wants because he knows what it will mean.