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NewsDay

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Opposition must get its act together

Opinion & Analysis
It is now more than two years since the opposition began its “No Reforms No Elections” campaign and, after so many by-elections, the time is nigh to ask how beneficial this has been.

It is now more than two years since the opposition began its “No Reforms No Elections” campaign and, after so many by-elections, the time is nigh to ask how beneficial this has been.

NEWSDAY COMMENT

Zanu PF has simply gone ahead with several by-elections and seems unperturbed by the opposition’s boycott.

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In the face of an unfazed ruling party, the opposition now has to tell us what’s next.

We are not saying the opposition should not boycott the elections, but two years down the line, we expect to see what the plan has been all along.

It is indisputable that the electoral playing field is uneven and we commend the MDCs and other parties for trying to force Zanu PF’s hand in levelling the arena.

But it seems this strategy is not working and maybe a new one should be employed, or at best the opposition should now take their boycott to the next level.

As it seems Zimbabwe lives for each election cycle, 2018 is not too far off and until the opposition tells us what it hoped to achieve with the boycotts, the “No Reforms No Elections” campaign now seems quite facile.

Strategically thinking, the opposition parties would have said we will boycott by-elections, then do this and that to force the ruling party to reform electoral laws. From the look of it, the MDCs are stuck on the first step: boycotting, and did not quite think their plan through.

With just over two years to the elections, the parties should have been in a position to show the fruits of their boycott strategy, but in all honesty there is nothing to write home about.

If the opposition is serious about winning the next elections, then they should be coming up with other means to force Zanu PF’s hand, as the poll boycott plan has no tangible results.

In short, it is back to the drawing board for them.

Meanwhile, as the opposition is sulking in one corner, Zanu PF is busy consolidating its support base for the elections.

Zanu PF is more than eager to have by-elections and will continue to cause them, as this gives them an opportunity to test out their systems and gauge their support.

More importantly, Zanu PF has gained a major stranglehold in places where it never dreamt of winning elections, while the opposition is ceding very important ground.

The opposition, particularly the MDC-T, may think it is finding solace in a fracturing Zanu PF and think this gives them a foothold in the next polls, but the sad reality is that it is not faring any better.

Zanu PF has in the past shown that it closes ranks when its hegemony is under threat, and once the external menace has been dealt with, the party returns to its habitual infighting.

Zimbabweans are hungry for a level electoral playing field and will support any plans to deliver this, as shown by the apathy during by-elections.

But the opposition has to give Zimbabweans a cause to back, because many are becoming disillusioned with the boycott strategy.

The question on many people’s minds now is: We boycott the polls and then what?