via Let’s fight poll rigging – DailyNews Live 23 June 2015
HARARE – Revelations by former Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa that Zanu PF cheated in the 2008 poll are nothing new really.
According to official figures, Morgan Tsvangirai garnered 47,9 percent of the March 2008 vote while Mugabe got 43,2 percent and these results took more than a month to announce as Zanu PF was shell-shocked and was probably busy coming up with ideas to make sure they remained in power.
Subsequently, there was a run-off blighted by unprecedented violence that claimed over 200 lives, mainly MDC supporters, according to rights groups.
In the end, the MDC rightly pulled out and President Robert Mugabe embarrassingly participated in a one-man election. And how did the regime get a two-thirds majority in the more recent 2013 general elections?
It is absolutely important to get all the facts before another critical decision is made to contest the 2018 elections.
The choice we face is, do we as a nation continue to walk the road to dictatorship, anarchy, a collapsed economy, and chaos, or do we follow the road to a new democratic government that has credibility and integrity?
Everywhere, desperate people are struggling to meet their most basic personal needs. Real poverty is at an all time high — 80 percent of the population is unemployed.
With a very serious liquidity crunch, more and more businesses are being forced to either retrench or close down altogether, creating an even higher level of unemployment.
What was once billed as a “Jewel of Africa” is rapidly becoming the latest catastrophe in the history of the continent.
For how long will Zanu PF be allowed to rig elections all because they have to retain power at all costs and continue on the destructive path they have been on since independence in 1980?
Against this background, we call upon all opposition parties to come together and formulate strategies to ensure that the upcoming 2018 elections are smooth and transparent for us to have deserving winners taking up leadership.
What we want in Zimbabwe are leaders of the people, by the people, for the people which in essence means democratically elected leaders who practice real democracy.
Zanu PF is aware that they should not be in power had it not been for rigging and that is why it has abandoned the people and is concentrating on consolidating the ill-gotten power they have.
Forget about 2013, the people’s vote was stolen in 2008 and now is time for the opposition to prepare for 2018 and make sure that there is no rigging.
At least Zanu PF has fired key people like ex-Vice President Joice Mujuru and Mutasa who held an important portfolio in the security sector and these can help Zimbabweans come up with ideas to stop Zanu PF from rigging.
COMMENTS
“The choice we face is, do we as a nation continue to walk the road to dictatorship, anarchy, a collapsed economy, and chaos, or do we follow the road to a new democratic government that has credibility and integrity?”
The truth of this is that Zimbabwe is already a dictatorship with a collapsed economy and chaotic. It has been this way for at least the last 15 years. The only thing preventing complete anarchy is the fear of the military, yet there could be an argument that anarchy prevails.
For the last 35 years Mugabe and ZanuPf has maintained the “credibility of democracy” through regular elections however if the truth be told every election has been manipulated.
A government that has credibility and integrity requires people of credibility and integrity, it requires a populace of credibility and integrity, it requires people who know their rights and responsibilities, it requires a moral and ethical leadership and people who are willing and prepared to stand up against those who are corrupt, it requires an independent judiciary and a system where those who are in power are not deemed to be above the law, it requires a free and independent press who are not afraid to point out transgressions, it requires a people who are committed to the truth.
This value system is to a large extent lacking in today’s world and is not unique to Zimbabwe
Your last sentence is objectionable. The value systems you are talking about are only lacking in Zimbabwe. Some countries have travelled a milestone with regards to freeing themselves from slavery. Let them suffer more. Right now, they are just tasting suffering. Until such time when they can’t take any further should change come. Don’t worry about them. They enjoy it at the moment.