Zimbabwe’s fixed 2018 polls; crisis may spill  beyond borders- CODE

Mugabe’s tendency of defending power at all cost is dangerous

zwnews.com Political Reporter

The Zimbabwean type of rule may have dire consequences to the region, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the United Nations (UN), and the entire international community, says the Coalition of Democrats (CODE) chairperson Farai Mbira.

“As it stands we inform Zimbabweans, SADC, UN, and the entire international community that Zimbabwe is an engineered electoral crisis that will have dire consequences for the country, the region and the international community,” he said in a statement.

Mbira believes the way Zimbabwe conducts its elections is inconsistent with regional and international principles, with Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) operating as an extension of the ruling party.

He added that  CODE will not walk into a fixed and predetermined 2018 poll by leaving ZEC to play around with the process as it had been doing for years.

“We cannot allow the watershed polls to be stolen right in front of us by letting do what it wants.

“CODE is resolute, unshakable, and determined to stand up to the government and ZEC’s shenanigans. The time of allowing them to do whatever they want is over,” he added.

MDC-T and National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora agrees and saying it is now time that ZEC surrender the running of elections to credible bodies. “Voting processes should now be done by an independent electoral body in association with UN, SADC, and African Union,” he said yesterday after delivering a petition to ZEC.

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai told a gathering at Freedom Square in Harare yesterday that Mugabe and ZANU PF’s tendency of defending power at all cost is dangerous and should not be allowed to continue.