from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – ZIMBABWE’S main opposition, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), is advocating for electoral reforms as the country heads for another round of elections.
Analysts and critics however believe the move is a gimmick.
Nelson Chamisa, CCC leader, on Thursday said the opposition party was launching an electoral reforms blueprint, which he described as “Prepare: Pre-election Pact on electoral reforms.”
The CCC leader demanded what he called seven electoral reforms, comprising the right to vote, a credible voters’ roll, a credible realtime results announcement system, integrity of ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) personnel and polling materials, media reforms, security of the vote and the security of the voter and political freedoms.
However, former government minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, dismissed the CCC launch as “cynicism” and “gross incompetence.”
Moyo is a former Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, as well as chief propagandist of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF).
“As electoral reform experiences around Africa show, serious opposition political players seek meaningful electoral reforms the day after the last election when they have five years to spare; and not the day before the next election, when they have squandered five years,” Moyo argued.
“Seeking electoral reforms when, after participating in the last election, you hibernate; say and do nothing about election reforms only to wake up on the eve of the next election with cacophonic calls for electoral reforms; smacks of political cynicism and gross incompetence,” insisted.
Moyo added, “Calls for electoral reforms should not be a desperate substitute for an election manifesto based on sound values, ideology, constitution and policy alternatives pursued by a political structure with a demonstrable capacity to govern and improve people’s lives and livelihoods!”
In his tweet, Chamisa said: “Launching the #PREPARE document today. The 7 fundamental electoral reforms- a plan drawn after nationwide consultations with the citizens across Zimbabwe. Elections in Zimbabwe must be credible, free and fair! #fakapressure #RegisterToVoteZW.”
It received criticism.
One Mazwi Thabani, said: “In Zimbabwe, elections are not credible because the American candidate (Chamisa) always loses.”
The next election is projected to be a race between CCC and the ruling ZANU-PF.
Various Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions have failed to unseat ZANU-PF since the former’s emergence in 1999.
– CAJ News