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NewsDay

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Mugabe poll threat a cause for fear

Opinion & Analysis
So, President Robert Mugabe has, despite clear evidence the people of Zimbabwe are against the idea, decided to push the country into elections this year, according to his partys secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa. There are, according to reports, many in his party who agree that the idea of holding elections this year is insane, […]

So, President Robert Mugabe has, despite clear evidence the people of Zimbabwe are against the idea, decided to push the country into elections this year, according to his partys secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa.

There are, according to reports, many in his party who agree that the idea of holding elections this year is insane, but like Margaret Dongo boldly told the so-called decision-makers in Zanu PF, they are too scared to speak their minds because, in her words, they are all Mugabes wives.

But, the big question that begs an answer is: What is it that makes it so difficult for Mugabe and his advisors to see that Zimbabwe is simply not ready for an election?

The reasons are very clear and have been put across many times but for some reason, the President and those that advise him have chosen to remain deaf to reason.

Other than the fact that Zimbabweans are still trying to heal after the 2008 brutal physical and emotional assault brought about by the election of that year, as recently as last week we were told by the Minister of Finance that the country does not have the money to hold an election this year.

There is also the issue of numerous outstanding issues that Mugabes contestants want dealt with before they can participate in another election important matters that even the region, including facilitators of the existing coalition government, Sadc, want settled before another poll.

Apparently Mugabe and his party want to ignore all that and bulldoze the country through a chaotic process that is likely to be as bloody and as unfree and unfair as the last sham election.

Only last week, Zanu PF MPs met and came up with a resolution to ban all private members Bills.

This will include motions on the amendment of the draconian Public Order and Security Act (Posa) and other matters like the repealing of the politically-abused Section 121 of the Criminal Proceedure and Evidence Act.

The reason for Zanu PF doing this is to prepare as rugged an election roadmap as possible so that Zimbabweans go into an election with Posa firmly in place and with the State (which in reality is Zanu PF) able to lock up opponents for as long as they wish.

How this party hopes to get its opponents to participate in a process clearly designed to obliterate them is a mystery.

But then Mugabe said very recently that no one is forced to go into an election, meaning that he is prepared to do another 2008 one-man race and declare himself winner yet he is fully aware such tomfoolery will be rejected, just as happened four years ago when he got into his present office through the benevolence of an animal called GPA.

Hindrances such as financing of the elections, the Constitution, the mess at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the Registrar General (RG)s Office, unhealed wounds of 2008 and the many reservations that ordinary Zimbabweans and other stakeholders have expressed concern over, will be literally be thrown away as irrelevant in Zanu PFs quest for a fast-track plebiscite.

For money, Zanu PF will turn to the East. The party has already said a new constitution is not a requirement for elections because after all, there was no guarantee the one under construction was going to pass the referendum.

As for issues to do with ZEC, the RGs Office shambolic voters roll, national healing and other concerns, Zanu PF will simply say they are a figment of a scared MDC-Ts imagination.

So, unless someone can stop this Zanu PF madness, another black cloud is beckoning and Zimbabweans can prepare for more bloodshed, broken limbs and the tribulations that we saw in 2008 just so the dream of dying in office is realised.