Opinion / Columnist
Madhuku admits elections were rigged, participated because it is a 'process' - no, it is an event and did out of greed
03 May 2019 at 07:28hrs | Views
In his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of tyranny in Zimbabwe, former MDC - Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the GNU, David Coltart, explained why Zimbabwe's opposition parties have continued to participate in national elections even when they KNEW the election process was flawed, illegal and Zanu PF will rig the elections. Greedy!
"The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn't now do the obvious - withdraw from the (2013)," explained Senator Coltart.
"The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility."
Most of the MDC factions did come together to form a coalition, the MDC Alliance, before the 2018 elections and yet they all participated in the elections. Not even one of them raised the need to boycott the elections even though it was certain Zanu PF will once again rig the elections. Even when ZEC had once again failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters' roll; still the opposition parties and candidates participated in the flawed and illegal elections.
The opposition candidates did not care that the election process was flawed and illegitimate and that all election observers have rightly condemned the elections.
"The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards," said the EU Zimbabwe Election Observer Mission in its final report.
The opposition candidates and parties did not care that Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year's elections as long as they got a shot at winning the few gravy train seats Zanu PF was giving away. All because of greed!
It is little wonder that all the opposition candidates and parties who participated in last year's flawed and illegal elections have all accept the election results as legitimate. Having participated in the elections knowing there was no voters, no free public media, etc. it would be hypocritical to then complain of the same after the elections.
Chamisa has accepted the parliamentary results but is disputing ZEC's vote count for the presidential race. Chamisa claims he garnered more votes than Mnangagwa. A dubious claim given vote counting was one of the many flaws and illegalities in the process and he failed to produce the documents to verify his vote count.
Being greedy is one thing but pretending the elections were free, fair and credible to an increasingly sceptical world is proving to be a real challenge for the opposition.
"I know the argument made by those supporting the sanctions that we have not made sufficient democratic progress. We accept that there are things that we still have to do to improve our political and democratic process. But a democratic project is a long term project," explained Professor Lovemore Madhuku, one of the participating presidential candidates.
"What we are saying is that the outside world must allow us to move in as much as we can to improve our economic, political and social space without the sanctions that are crippling us.
"We are in the dialogue for the purpose of contributing our voice to the lifting of sanctions."
The failure to produce something as basic as a voters' roll, denying 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote, making there was no free public media, etc.; these were all deliberate and calculated flaws and illegalities implemented for the sole purpose of rigging the elections and keep Zanu PF in power. Professor Madhuku knew this as did all the other opposition candidates and still the participated for selfish gain.
Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections after taking over from Mugabe but failed to keep his promise because he and his fellow Zanu PF thugs were not willing to give up absolute power afforded them by the de facto one-party dictatorship. It is nonsense to argue he did not honour his promise because Zimbabwe's "democratic process" has not yet reached the point where we can hold free, fair and credible elections.
Zimbabwe's first multi-racial elections in 1980 should have been free, fair and credible. They were not because Zanu PF had operatives on the ground who told rural voters that if the party did not win the elections the civil war would continue. Lawlessness and wanton violence by the ruling elite to establish and maintain their dictatorial strangle hold on power have remained an ever present danger in Zimbabwe for the last 39 years.
The country is in this economic and political mess precisely because for 39 years we nation was stuck with this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime. The country's economic recovery is dependent on the nation end this curse of rigged elections. We do not need the lawlessness and wanton violence no more than a family need a cobra and black mamba living with them in the house.
Of course, holding free, fair and credible elections is an event and not a process; implement the democratic reforms to end the lawlessness and violence and the country will have free, fair and credible elections.
After 39 years of denying the ordinary Zimbabweans the basic freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful vote and with the nation in a real economic mess and millions living in abject poverty as a consequence we must now focus on restoring the people's freedoms and rights as a matter of urgency.
It is unforgivable that there are those in Zanu PF who continue to resist change. It is very disappointing that the Zanu PF thugs are receiving political support from opposition parties pretending they are fighting for the common people when they are not.
If MDC leaders had implemented the reforms during the 2008 GNU the nation would have free, fair and credible elections in 2013 and got rid of the Zanu PF dictatorship. They failed to implement even one reform in five years because they sold-out.
If the opposition had boycotted the flawed band illegal 2013 or 2018 elections and thus starved Zanu PF of even the modicum of political credibility forcing the illegitimate Zanu PF regime would be a piece of cake. Opposition leaders like Madhuku are propping up this illegitimate Zanu PF dictatorship and extending its stay in power at great expense of the people who are suffering. Madhuku et al are doing this out of selfish greed. Stop it! For heaven's sake stop it!
"The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn't now do the obvious - withdraw from the (2013)," explained Senator Coltart.
"The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility."
Most of the MDC factions did come together to form a coalition, the MDC Alliance, before the 2018 elections and yet they all participated in the elections. Not even one of them raised the need to boycott the elections even though it was certain Zanu PF will once again rig the elections. Even when ZEC had once again failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters' roll; still the opposition parties and candidates participated in the flawed and illegal elections.
The opposition candidates did not care that the election process was flawed and illegitimate and that all election observers have rightly condemned the elections.
"The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards," said the EU Zimbabwe Election Observer Mission in its final report.
The opposition candidates and parties did not care that Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year's elections as long as they got a shot at winning the few gravy train seats Zanu PF was giving away. All because of greed!
It is little wonder that all the opposition candidates and parties who participated in last year's flawed and illegal elections have all accept the election results as legitimate. Having participated in the elections knowing there was no voters, no free public media, etc. it would be hypocritical to then complain of the same after the elections.
Chamisa has accepted the parliamentary results but is disputing ZEC's vote count for the presidential race. Chamisa claims he garnered more votes than Mnangagwa. A dubious claim given vote counting was one of the many flaws and illegalities in the process and he failed to produce the documents to verify his vote count.
Being greedy is one thing but pretending the elections were free, fair and credible to an increasingly sceptical world is proving to be a real challenge for the opposition.
"What we are saying is that the outside world must allow us to move in as much as we can to improve our economic, political and social space without the sanctions that are crippling us.
"We are in the dialogue for the purpose of contributing our voice to the lifting of sanctions."
The failure to produce something as basic as a voters' roll, denying 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote, making there was no free public media, etc.; these were all deliberate and calculated flaws and illegalities implemented for the sole purpose of rigging the elections and keep Zanu PF in power. Professor Madhuku knew this as did all the other opposition candidates and still the participated for selfish gain.
Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections after taking over from Mugabe but failed to keep his promise because he and his fellow Zanu PF thugs were not willing to give up absolute power afforded them by the de facto one-party dictatorship. It is nonsense to argue he did not honour his promise because Zimbabwe's "democratic process" has not yet reached the point where we can hold free, fair and credible elections.
Zimbabwe's first multi-racial elections in 1980 should have been free, fair and credible. They were not because Zanu PF had operatives on the ground who told rural voters that if the party did not win the elections the civil war would continue. Lawlessness and wanton violence by the ruling elite to establish and maintain their dictatorial strangle hold on power have remained an ever present danger in Zimbabwe for the last 39 years.
The country is in this economic and political mess precisely because for 39 years we nation was stuck with this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime. The country's economic recovery is dependent on the nation end this curse of rigged elections. We do not need the lawlessness and wanton violence no more than a family need a cobra and black mamba living with them in the house.
Of course, holding free, fair and credible elections is an event and not a process; implement the democratic reforms to end the lawlessness and violence and the country will have free, fair and credible elections.
After 39 years of denying the ordinary Zimbabweans the basic freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful vote and with the nation in a real economic mess and millions living in abject poverty as a consequence we must now focus on restoring the people's freedoms and rights as a matter of urgency.
It is unforgivable that there are those in Zanu PF who continue to resist change. It is very disappointing that the Zanu PF thugs are receiving political support from opposition parties pretending they are fighting for the common people when they are not.
If MDC leaders had implemented the reforms during the 2008 GNU the nation would have free, fair and credible elections in 2013 and got rid of the Zanu PF dictatorship. They failed to implement even one reform in five years because they sold-out.
If the opposition had boycotted the flawed band illegal 2013 or 2018 elections and thus starved Zanu PF of even the modicum of political credibility forcing the illegitimate Zanu PF regime would be a piece of cake. Opposition leaders like Madhuku are propping up this illegitimate Zanu PF dictatorship and extending its stay in power at great expense of the people who are suffering. Madhuku et al are doing this out of selfish greed. Stop it! For heaven's sake stop it!
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.com
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