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Fungi Kwaramba-Zimpapers Elections Desk
“Democracy cannot survive when one side believes there are only two outcomes to an election: either they win or they were cheated”.
The above quote is contained in a now famous speech made by the United States President Joe Biden in September last year and is relevant in the post-election Zimbabwean context as the opposition, characteristically defy the will of the people, principally because the poll outcome was not in their favour, they claim they were cheated, even though they said before the poll cheating was impossible.
It is now common knowledge that President Mnangagwa emerged the winner in the presidential elections held last week, beating his closet rival Mr Nelson Chamisa of CCC by almost half a million votes, now that is no mean feat, but regrettably it’s an outcome that Chamisa will not embrace because it is not what he had long dreamt and prayed for in his conflated view of politics and religiosity.
On multiple occasions, Mr Chamisa had made it patently clear that he would not accept any other win, but his, he has said the elections will not be rigged, and he has had interviews insisting that he would win the elections whatever the odds against him.
In the bubble of overconfidence, albeit without the sound foundation to make such conclusions, he failed to budget for defeat and like in denialism he makes threadbare arguments that he won the polls but without any shred of evidence.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the constitutionally mandated body to run all elections in Zimbabwe, has of course pronounced otherwise.
Ironically, Mr Chamisa cannot fathom that he lost, but gladly accepts the parliamentary election results, where his party garnered 73 seats against the lion share of Zanu PF which is 136, both elections, the presidential and parliamentary were synchronised and presided over by the same referee, ZEC which he now attacks – what is good for the goose must surely be good for the gander.
Some perspective perhaps, of those 73 seats, there are 12 seats in which the opposition had initially lost before last week plebiscite after they failed to submit nomination papers for their candidates on time, and indeed had it not been for the now under attack ZEC, those seats would have been lost to Zanu PF, but that was not the case because the country has checks and balances systems that work.
The matter spilled into the courts, ZEC and CCC were joined respondents with the former offering compelling reasons in favour of the later, in this case the courts ruled in Chamisa and his party’s favour.
Now, the natural question is: had these two institutions been captured, would the dozen legislators from Bulawayo have contested in the polls.
After realising that voting was delayed in some areas, President Mnangagwa extended the voting day to August 23, as he ensured that no Zimbabwean would be disenfranchised in the elections.
” . . . it has been noted that for some polling stations in the wards specified in the schedule to the proclamation this period will overlap into a day that is not a polling day: AND WHEREAS section 38(4) of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13) gives the President power, by further proclamation in the Gazette to alter any day, time or place fixed in terms of subsection (1) or (3) of section 38 and the day, time or place as so altered shall be deemed have been fixed in terms of the appropriate subsection of section;
“NOW THEREFORE, under and by virtue of the powers vested in the President as aforesaid. I do, by this proclamation in respect of the affected polling stations for the wards listed in the schedule to this Proclamation fix the 24th of August 2023 as the last day of polling for the election to the office of President, the election of members of the National Assembly and election of councillors,” the President said in a Government Gazette on election day.
It is now common course that on August 24 thousands of people ultimately voted, mostly in urban areas, now, why, unless in the name of democracy, would the President have extended voting to areas where it was alleged the goal was voter suppression.
One hopes that Mr Chamisa, an election denialist, is not out to dent the country’s democratic institutions by dint of an outcome that does not favour him.
His position, especially, as it is unclear, ambiguous and often plays to the gallery has the potential to stock doubt, harassment, and even violence against election officials.
He is a danger to democracy as he is planting doubt in the democratic processes and is, in his assumed robe of a martyr of shadow forces, Mr Chamisa poses a threat to the country rule of law and constitutionalism.
Mr Chamisa does not believe in the rule of law, he does not recognise and respect the will of the people unless if that is in his favour.
Mr Chamisa, who heads a party without structures, and has absolute authority that can make even the most absolute monarchs cringe, for the most part plays to the gallery, fanning the flames of violence, political hatred and extreme polarisation.
In his scheme of things, there is no middle ground, threatening the peace that abounds today, sacred peace that came from the barrel of a gun as brave sons and daughters of Zimbabwe took up arms to free Zimbabwe, to bring democracy to Zimbabwe, to bring universal suffrage to Zimbabwe.
It is thus a distinct responsibility for every Zimbabwean, including those in the opposition trenches to be responsive to the power of the vote, the power of voices of Zimbabweans who last week made their choices and democratically elected their preferred leaders, who are now expected to take the nation forward, in conformity with the laws and constitution of Zimbabwe, which are far more supreme that the selfish inclinations of a few politicians who believe in a scorched earth policy.
Disrespecting democratic institutions and the perchance to engage in violence is fatal to democracy and in the name of all that is sacred to Zimbabwe.
One hopes Mr Chamisa accepts his defeat with grace, to allow nation building.
One hopes that Mr Chamisa is just soothing his party supporters as a way of healing their obviously bruised egos, and that all his antics are part of the path to acceptance.
Online Reporter