Electoral Reforms, the primary step

Congratulations to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet for winning the Nobel peace Prize awarded for its efforts for paving the way for democracy in the country through nurturing institutions necessary for democracy and human rights protection. Tunisians have really fought for democratization of their country in a situation there are many extremist groups that insist on Islamic government, with awful human rights abuses and poor economic policies. In Lebanon the religious government is failing dismally and protests erupt now and then for neglect of simple duties by government e.g garbage collection. Religious governments may succeed but their major weakness is that due to their authoritative nature, critiquing them, a necessary feedback mechanism and a regulating factor, is deemed a taboo and is therefore completely missing. In such a setup,if anything goes wrong everybody would be scared to query.

Meanwhile protests have erupted in Conakry, Guinea against dictatorship. The Guinean Electoral Commission and the country president of Guinea both insist that the 11th Sunday election should still take place amidst the protest and against a backdrop of poor electoral registration which the protestors seek a redress. Electoral commissions across many dictator ruled African governments and elsewhere have openly exhibited their partiality in supporting sitting governments.   Usually these electoral commissions in dictator ruled states are appointed by the dictators themselves and therefore administer elections out fear and act only to satisfy the interests of appointees. I appreciate the Guinean opposition members' stance of peacefully demanding the levelling of the electoral playfield before going to the election. The reverberations of the president and Guinean Electoral Commission in adamantly forcing the Sunday Election in a volatile environment depicts for sure that the suspected foul is at play and the election is already predetermined by the electoral commission in favor of the sitting president. Dictator ruled governments around the world hold elections, not to probe the electorate's choice of candidates, but only to deceitfully convince the international community and human rights organizations that the due democratic process has been followed in recycling the dictator's mandate to continue.

Often we hear from such dictators that only peoples from their own country have can change their government, just like in Assad's Syria. But these dictators rarely give their people the slightest chance to freely choose leaders after their own hearts, because these dictators' state machinery meticulously manipulates the electoral processes such that it is completely impossible for opposition to win. Perhaps the world's worst dictator is the North Korean Dynasty where voting is just a mere formality. North Koreans live a miserable lives with the existing government's only rationale is to maintain its foolish pride war against the West and a democratic, very prosperous and successful South Korea.

In Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe is going the same way of instituting a black people only government. Even locally born white citizens are abhorred in his party. Alongside this principle he also emphasizes on appointing liberation war veterans in key government positions discriminating against the general populace. The army and police still have war vets at their helm and these corruptly and violently enhance the continuation of Mugabe's rule, whilst on the surface elections are being held to give Mugabe and his party some legitimacy in the eyes of the international community. Mugabe seems also to want to bequeath the presidency to his wife creating a dynasty mirroring the North Korean one. Mugabe's wife Grace is widely feared but not respected, by all senior members of the party including Vice Presidents. This is because whatever she may tell the octogenarian in the bedroom goes. Grace Mugabe may bully all the senior party members as long as Mugabe is both alive and still president. On her own she does not have any following, and people seem to dislike her for her lack of values and lack of sensitivity concerning people's sufferings at the hands of her despotic husband.  She also seems not to know what to speak expect of cause, of factions and threats, because she knows how to manipulate the bully, her backup. Most first ladies worldwide confine themselves to charity work, but Grace has rattled Zanu pf party officials and has ventured into politics, buoyed only by her proximity to the dictator. Mugabe is also on the record of saying that only Zimbabweans can change their government, but during election times the army is unleashed to instill terror on the electorate to vote for him so that the statement is therefore just a delusion, a myth.

On the other hand the opposition in Zimbabwe has behaved in the most foolish manner ever observed. The opposition have a common foe but are in the habit of letting off the foe, and fight amongst themselves. Most of the problems the opposition parties are facing is a fallout of a heavily manipulated electoral playfield. Rather than follow the Guinean example of demanding reforms first, the opposition in Zimbabwe choose to weaken each other, and let Mugabe have his way in manipulating the electoral field. The first step, as is being whispered across the devides, is to form a union of opposition parties that will coordinate and demand the implementation of election reforms as stipulated in the GPA, or even formulate new ones if they desire. Then using these, foment pressure on ZEC and government to use this in administering elections. The 2018 election date is unrealistic, given the rapid economic meltdown. That date itself was a result of Zanu Pf promulgating the 2013 elections without and having dodged implementing the electoral reforms. The union must not stop until this is achieved. A radical stance is needed to this radical situation. Such a union will obtain support of the opposition parties and therefore of most people. It is totally futile for any single opposition party to take on Zanu Pf and expect to win in such highly inclined election settings.

The union may be run by through a board or a council, and the individual opposition parties must maintain vigil to see that the union does not get frustrated or persecuted by Zanu pf government. Such risk is always there and is very high. The union project should be with specific deadlines and clearly defined goals and means. The project implementation is as imperative and important so due care must be taken as to the representatives who implement it.  To be successful the board/council should also continue until after the first elections under the reforms.  So it may be important that those who want to run should not participate in the council/board. If those who want to run participate, then the body may become ineffective as board members may seek to input clauses or proposals that serve their own particular interests. Wide representation in the board is a requirement. Representation from NGOs, Civic Societies, political parties, Human rights watchdogs, some corporates and workers representative organs and / embassies of countries with successful democracies& churches formations should be considered. The board progress should be monitored and be controlled by another body which consist of party leaders, so that the reforms implementing body should not carry its work forever, and insure that it is not threatened, or that it does not radically and unilaterally shift goals.  The board of political party leaders should initiate the setting up of the reforms implementation board, maybe through setting the goals and framework/terms of references, means and timeframes and means of evaluating progress. If the opposition fails to execute this project, then Zanu pf rule will be prolonged and economic collapse will be certain, for Zanu pf in its own right has shown that it does not care about the welfare of its people. If leaders present themselves whose desire is only to serve the people, then this body is assured of success. Contrary, if masquerades present themselves, then even setting up this body will be impossible. Those who want to serve self should go and join Zanu Pf, Zanu Pf is best suited for that.  If the board/council initiative does not take place, eventually a spontaneous uprising will sometime come. The major fear concerning a spontaneous uprising with no leadership is that it may be hijacked by rogues and selfish people, just like Mugabe hijacked Zanu pf's cause for his personal ego. People of Zimbabwe wish to have a useful, practical, diverse government that facilitates a successful robust economy which improves their live standards. They need a government that respects and allows or enables them maximum possible participation in how their affairs are being run. There is much hope in the plural opposition working together to demand a fair chance in election process for each one of them.