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MDC demands reforms for free and fair elections
Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC)
November 05, 2011
The MDC strongly condemns Zanu PF and Patrick Chinamasa's
forlorn and desperate attempts to stall the negotiations in the
Global Political
Agreement (GPA) and adopting a roadmap to a free and elections.
Statements attributed
to Chinamasa that Zanu PF had lost faith in the GPA negotiations
are proof that Zanu PF is a bundle of nerves when it comes to holding
free and fair elections next year. It is clear that Zanu PF in general
and Chinamasa in particular are extremely frightened at the prospects
of a free and fair election in Zimbabwe. Given the fact that Chinamasa
lost heavily in the 2008
parliamentary elections it is easy to see why he wants to avoid
the trauma of losing elections.
Our clear position
is that we will not compromise on our demands for the negotiations
to yield a result that ensures a level playing field in the forth-coming
elections. This involves the resolution of all outstanding GPA issues,
including the completion of the constitution making process, and
the cleaning up of the voters' roll. Further all the three
outstanding issues on the roadmap to free and fair elections. These
are the crucial issue of the staffing of ZEC, the total eradication
of all forms of date sponsored violence and security sector reform.
Currently the
ZEC is staffed by State security agents, military officers and card
carrying Zanu PF activists who were instrumental in rigging of the
2008 elections on Zanu PF and Mugabe's behalf. Clearly, without
the total independence of the ZEC the nation can not expect free,
fair and credible elections.
The MDC therefore
demands that ZEC to cleanse itself of the Zanu PF mess and re-assert
its credibility and perform its Constitutional functions in line
with regionally and internationally accepted universal norms and
standards for conducting free and fair elections.
The roadmap
has specific timelines and benchmarks that have to be adhered to.
The MDC is concerned
that little has been done in terms of media reforms in spite of
the clear agreements on these. The issue of hate speech against
the MDC in the public media has been intensified of late. At the
same time nothing meaningful has been done to democratize and open
up media space.
Zanu PF should
therefore not be allowed to continue frustrating clear provisions
of the GPA that is inclusive
government must ensure a free, plural and diverse media in Zimbabwe.
On the issue
of a polling station based voters' roll, the MDC's position
is that it is not ideal when the issue of security sector realignment
is not addressed. This is because polling station based voters roll
make it possible for local communities to be targeted for reprisals
after the election. To that end Parliament is dealing with the concerns
raised by the people of Zimbabwe and the undesirability of certain
clauses of the Electoral
Ammendment Bill brought by Chinamasa.
The statements
made by Chinamasa have a serious effect of delaying further the
GPA negotiations and resolving outstanding issues on the roadmap
to holding free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
Zanu PF is now
showing its true colours. The sunset party - Zanu PF -
is scared of elections. This anxiety is not difficult to see as
most of the Zanu PF negotiators did not fair very well in the last
elections in 2008, especially Patrick Chinamasa.
As a party,
the MDC is ready for elections. However it insists on adequate mechanisms
to ensure that these elections are free and fair.
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