IT is high time Zimbabwe breaks the cycle of disputed elections that has tainted its image over the past four decades Zanu PF has been in power. It would appear the ruling party has all these years retained power through violence, rigging and abuse of State machinery. True democracy demands that a winner should emerge from a free and fair poll.
After the nomination court sat on Wednesday and registered nominees, real work of peacefully canvassing for votes should now begin in earnest.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa should set the tone for a peaceful campaign when he launches the Zanu PF election manifesto in Chipinge today. His message today should provide the moral compass to the whole nation as we march towards the August 23 poll.
The scars of the bloody 2008 presidential election re-run are still fresh, and so is the August 1, 2018 post-election violence that caused many fatalities and injuries.
We call on authorities to respect human life and the citizens’ right to freedom of association and expression.
Those rights are provided for in the Constitution, Southern African Development Community (Sadc) guidelines and other international instruments on the holding of free and fair elections.
The lack of legitimacy has always come at a cost to the country, and it is time politicians reflect on this.
Zimbabwe has been ranked low on the happiness index and this obviously is as a result of disputed elections of the past. As the international community, specifically the European Union, has rightly pointed out, our re-engagement efforts will only bear fruit if we conduct ourselves well in the coming polls.
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Anything short of a free and fair poll will condemn us to the dustbin of pariah states.
We have moved in circles for far too long and this has cost us a lot in terms of economic and socio-political development as a nation.
Elections are expensive. The country cannot continue to lose money financing rituals disguised as democratic elections.
Elections should bring a positive change to the country.
As media we will continue shining light in the dark spots of our election roadmap and leave the rest to politicians to steer the ship in the right direction.
