Why elections are necessary now
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">A family is made up of a father, mother and children. The father is the head of the family while the mother supports the head with the children taking a back sit waiting to get support from their father and their mother.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">The two important figures in a family father and mother can run a family only if they are in agreement on whatever they are discussing and arranging together. In that way a family can only be bonded together if these two important figures are in agreement.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">The children would only be monitoring with keen interest on any move that would be taking place as they are the main actors in deciding who to support in case of disagreements.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">In a situation where the two are infiltrated by those who are jealousy on the good the two will be doing, it becomes a major problem and the family disintegrates. When the family disintegrates the same people who would have caused that disintegration would then stand aside and congratulate themselves.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">The family set up is similar to a government situation where there is the Executive (Father), the Legislature and the judiciary (mother) and also the people (children). In this situation one would expect the affairs of any government to run smoothly as they would be guided by the spirit of the family set up.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">In
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">New ideas in any situation are commendable and the birth of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in 1999 although deplorable in some sectors, was a welcome move as it is like in any family set up where a grown up child wants to challenge his father for supremacy.
#000000">After thinking that his father was probably sidelining him in most of the family affairs, he decided to build up his empire using his father's resources. Not bad anyway but the modus operandi of the whole system would be questionable
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">When MDC was formed, a lot of people saw hope as they thought that Zanu-PF was shortchanging them in various sectors of the economy and social life. Some thought that Zanu-PF had over stayed their welcome hence it was good to have a new kid on the block to chat the way forward.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">The coming in of the MDC in the political field was felt in a 2000 Constitutional Draft referendum in which it successfully campaigned for a "No" vote when the Zanu-PF government was campaigning for a "Yes" vote. And later followed by the 2000 parliamentary elections in which it won fifty-seven (57) seats becoming the first opposition party to get that feat since independence in 1980.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">So that feat which was achieved by MDC changed the whole system of governance in Zimbabwe with western countries pouring a lot of money into the MDC coffers so that they would be able to topple the Zanu-PF party from power. The regime change agenda became the main focus.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Having invested a lot of money into the MDC coffers, the western countries led by
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">In 2008, presidential run off which took place after the March 2008 presidential elections failed to produce an outright winner, Morgan Tsvangirai sensing defeat pulled out of the race just some few days before elections plunging the country into chaos, economically and politically.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">As planned the elections went ahead, resulting in President Mugabe resoundingly trouncing Mr. Boycott Tsvangirai. Of course, as expected from Zimbabweans, the western countries aided by
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">The Thabo Mbeki led negotiations brought up the inclusive government comprising of Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC-M. This arrangement was a relief to the Zimbabwean people but this arrangement has now turned out to be a monster.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">The tug of war between the two main political parties, Zanu-PF and MDC-T is now hindering progress in how the country can be run especially the MDC-T which cannot think on its own but only needs strong hand holding by the west
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">The MDC-T has been shooting down anything that the Zanu-PF has been putting forward in the inclusive government.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Zanu-PF is always pushing for the support of the new farmers financially so that they get inputs for farming but Tendai Biti, the MDC-T Secretary General and also Minister of Finance has been shooting down such noble ideas.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Minister of Education, Art, Sport and Culture David Coltart has allowed teachers to rob parents through the incentive programs. The same parents who are forced to pay incentives to the teachers, most of them are the civil servants who are being paid salaries below the poverty datum line. At the end of the day teachers manage to have three meals per day when a child whom a teacher would be teaching is failing to get even a single meal per day. What a shame!
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Such anomalies in the inclusive government can only be stopped if elections are held as soon as possible so that there is only one government which can decide what to do in all government affairs.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">A classical example of how the inclusive government is not working properly is the way the civil service salary review has been handled, especially the MDC-T
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Only recently, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was reported by the media as showing ignorance of whether civil servants had actual been awarded their salary increment. In the process, he said that if ever it was true that they were promised two hundred and fifty-three dollars($253) it was a paltry amount. One wonders what type of a Prime Minister he is who does not know what is happening in the cabinet he is part of.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">On the other hand Minister of Public Service, Eliphasi Mukonoweshuro of MDC-T, distanced himself from the announcement made by the Apex Council that they would get their salary increment this month. According to him negotiations were still taking place.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Tendai Biti, the holder of the government purse put forward a gloomy picture on the salary increment. He told the public that the government had no money to make salary adjustments.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">While Tendai Biti is saying that there is no money to give civil servants salary increments, Zanu-PF is saying that the money is there and only Biti is reluctant to award the salary increase for his own political addenda thus elections now can rectify the anomalies that are existing.
#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">So in such a situation what else can be done beside holding elections as soon as possible to do away with the tug of war that is taking place within the inclusive government.
