Following the MDC’s statement on 1 August declaring Zimbabwe’s 31 July harmonised election illegitimate, and their 3 August decision to boycott institutions of government, we asked our subscribers the following question:

Kubatana! With the MDC-T calling the election illegitimate should their elected MPs & councillors take up their seats or boycott Parliament & local government?

Around 2/3 of respondents said the MDC should boycott Parliament and local government, and not take up their seats as MPs or councillors. (This is about the same ratio that thought the 31 July election date was too soon in the first place.) The main reason for this was that to take up their seats would be to legitimise an election the MDC has called illegitimate. There was a strong sense from subscribers that “the MDC cannot have it both ways. Some respondents also thought that the MDC wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything by taking up their seats, or that Zanu PF should be left to govern the country on its own.

About 30% of respondents said the MDC should take up their seats, primarily because they had a mandate or responsibility from the people who had elected them. A few thought it was unrealistic to expect the MDC to boycott their seats, because of the benefits individual MPs and councillors get from being in office.

A small percentage were undecided or had mixed opinions on the issue.

We’ve published all of the feedback we’ve received so far here. Also, where we knew where a subscriber was writing from, we plotted their response on a map, to show the geographic distribution of opinion.

A small sampling of responses includes:

• I’m so angry at the moment that I would rather not answer that question.
• The should not and let them rule the country vari vega if the elections were free and fair the winning party why is it victimising the losing one s suporters
• yes they should boycott coz once they participate they will legitimize the fradulant election
• They should stay with the pple! Why go to parly when we know that even their results were doctored to mollify us. Mugabe and his party won – let him rule alone!
• They shd let zanu pf go it alone or since zpf intends to subvert the wil of e pple thru constitutn amndments mdc shdnt be part of it
• MDC-T elected MPs & councillors should take up their seats so as not to dissapoint pple who chose them.
• Only if they have something to do
• Plse advise mdc-t mps not to boycot. We know what happened and we heavily backing the mdc-t party. Let the skeleton mp representation fill their places in the palamnt even if they are going to snow there. They should sit in parliament and preserve the smoldering light of mdc-t. Don’t they learn frm zanu ndonga which kept its 1 seat for 20yrs? Its falling down in an unfortold political playground tricks. When politicians fall down they should stand up and run again. Why boycoting? Be like solders! We will there one day.
• They must boycott taking up of seats 2 show our disappointments. The people will speak what next. Dont be traped using money. We mustn’t be greedy about salaries.
• Mgabe’s silly, did anounced presidential results in 2 Days. In 2008 it took him a quarter year, his a typical thief. We will not loose hope. In protest our MDC MPs shoudn’t get in the parliament of cronies.
• They should not take part in council or parliament business bt Mdc must give them allowances so that they are nt tempted by the lv fo money
• That has always been the problem with MDC.They must not participert in anyway.Look at what GNU begot and the Zumas are now saying to Tsvangirai accept results.
• Participating means legitimising the illigitimate they should not b part of it people are angry
• The MDC-Ts must not take the seat because if they take the seat that means they have agred with the results
• They shoud have nothing to do with this guvnment of thieves.If they do they will have betrayed us, themselves as well.
• These are crying babies.those who won deserve their seats
• Now it’s tight it was better to boycott 31 July polls coz if they do that what about those people who elected?
• They should boycott to show the illegitimace.
• They should not take part in any part because if the election is rejected and participating amounts to acceptance which is a contradiction.
• Mr T may keep quiet but shld let Spksman, Sec Gen, Org Sec rouse the bulldust if not satisfied. Tell him so. Chiefs did lot of damage for playing fierce dragon.
• Stupid and foolish MDC candidates without Zimbabwe at heart can boycot.In elections one loses or wins. Respect results and the law.
• The must not sit with those wolves.They stole our vote and try to make it a normal process.Obasanjo, may the Lord forgive him for tellin’ the opposite of what he saw.
• They should not boycot they were elected by people who want them to serve them .they are boycoting the electorate
• They should boycot, otherwise taking up the duties will legitimise the illegitimate
• They should boycot becoz if they take office posts it will be free &fair election
• They shld not even try to work with wolfs, instead they shld concerntrate about giving their party members information about the way forward & the stance to take so that the will of the pple of zimbabwe are met without fear of the unknown person.we demand our right now !
• They should boycott .Their presents would legitimise everything after all they will never have an impact

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According to today’s NewsDay, the price of fuel has gone up from around $1.50 / litre for petrol to $1.70 / litre for petrol following last week’s election. It seems pretty hard to believe that this is what Zimbabweans were hoping would be the most immediate result of a Zanu PF win. If you haven’t already read it, check out the Zanu PF 2013 election manifesto. Since they’ve got such a resounding victory, they shouldn’t have any problems making good on their promises to develop, empower and employ Zimbabweans.

Update 6 August: Herald headline – Fuel price increase reports false: Zera

Zimbabwe’s dry winter months may mean that the veld fire danger is high. But the risk of people power exploding in the streets is low. The weather is cold, the sky is grey. Despite the MDC’s announcement that Zimbabwe’s 2013 harmonised election was illegitimate, it’s business as usual in Harare today.

Never my first choice for ear candy, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) news bulletins make for particularly depressing listening tonight.

Not known for its balanced reporting, the state broadcaster’s definition of “news” generally leaves a lot to be desired. But it is probably safe to assume that, especially during Zimbabwe’s elections, ZBC’s reports mirror the government’s (Zanu PF’s) position.

Whilst the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has yet to release election results, the news on ZBC radio tells me that “analysts” refer to a “Zanu PF landslide,” with Zanu PF winning municipal council majorities in places like Gwanda North. (Given the pesky businesses with Gukurahundi, this is difficult to believe). It also references last year’s Freedom House report, which noted an increase in Zanu PF’s support.

So yes. It is too early to say. Hopefully I will be proven wrong! But it sounds like the results which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) announces will be heavily in favour of Zanu PF. They may even give Zanu PF a 2/3 majority in Parliament, which would certainly be useful to them.

Note I don’t say “the election results.” Zimbabwe’s election was flawed from the day President Mugabe proclaimed the election date. This date was conveniently in line with a judgement from the newly-formed Constitutional Court. But inconveniently illegally declared, called for unconstitutionally promulgated changes to the Electoral Act, and required the election to break its own rules, by holding Nomination Court whilst voter registration was still open. And let’s not talk about the voters’ roll or special voting.

At the time, MDC’s President (and Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister) Morgan Tsvangirai vowed he would not stand by whilst “Zimbabwe was railroaded to another illegitimate election.” But, it would appear, that is exactly what he did. In a press briefing today, he said:

This election has been a huge farce. Its credibility has been marred by administrative and legal violations which affect the legitimacy of its outcome. The outcome of this election is illegitimate. But more importantly, the shoddy manner in which it has been conducted and the consequent illegitimacy of the result will plunge this country into a serious crisis.

But, calling foul after polling has closed, makes it easy for ZBC (and others) to label him as simply a sore loser.

As Foreign Affairs pointed our recently:

If Robert Mugabe has his way, the results of Zimbabwe’s July 31, 2013, presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections will have been determined before a single ballot is cast. The wily 89-year-old autocratic president, in power for 33 years, has put in place a system of security, legal, fiscal, and administrative measures aimed at again returning his Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) to national office.

The real tragedy isn’t Zimbabweans stolen ballots. Its that they were ever allowed to cast them in an election that was illegal and unconstitutional from the day it was announced. Like Marko Phiri pointed out when Mugabe announced the election date six weeks ago, “if Mugabe can unilaterally call for polls, what is to stop him from declaring himself the winner” (regardless of whether he actually won or not).

Vince Musewe reminds Zimbabweans that we have a major role to play in keeping our politicians accountable and our electoral process credible. We must not accept a flawed election:

Zimbabwe’s 4th Chimurenga; a battle of ideas and not guns

As Mugabe sleeps on the bed he has created, so, must those that have been complicit in creating that bed.

It is incontrovertible that, when leadership ceases to be sensitive to the needs and aspirations of its followers, the followers will rebel and choose those leaders whom they think are most likely to represent their aspirations.

The art of leadership, therefore, is the ability to anticipate and understand the shifting trends, opinions and aspirations of the people you may seek to lead, and then act to meet those needs otherwise, one will be rendered irrelevant.

By criminalizing open dialogue, criticism, freedom to associate and stifling personal liberties, as a leader, you inadvertently starve yourself from information on new ideas and trends, which are critical for you to continue to be an effective leader. Inevitably that vacuum, is then filled by informers, spies and charlatans who manufacture and manipulate the information you get so that they may continue to gain favor from you.

That eventually makes you irrelevant as you become unaware and uninformed of the true reality on the ground. You can be then are perceived as insensitive to the needs of your followers and incompetent, no matter what good you may have done in the past.

That is the bed Mugabe has made and must now sleep on it. The use of violence and coercion, to force Zimbabweans to agree with his ideas has not created a loyal followership, but an unwilling and anxious people who will at the first opportunity they get to vote, dismiss him from power.

This is the reality that those in the military, the police and intelligence services have help him to create but are refusing to accept the inevitable consequences. As Mugabe sleeps on the bed he has made, so, must those that have been complicit in creating that bed.

The 4th chimurenga has arrived; it is a battle of ideas about the future and cannot be won through the use of a gun as was the 3rd.

I think this should be instructive to those that are seeking political power in Zimbabwe. Our politics have to change, and the relationship between the governing and the governed has to be based on respect. In order for that to happen, it is up to all of us Zimbabwean citizens to realize that as long we remain quiet and unconcerned, we are bound once more, to afford an opportunity for our leadership to abuse our vote.

I expect that we will insist that it cannot be business as usual when a new government comes into power. No longer must we expect them to shape our future without our participation. No longer must we allow them to prescribe solutions to our problems while ignoring what we think should happen.
We will need to be activists to breathe life into a new participative democracy enshrined in our new constitution. Zimbabweans can no longer be spectators in their own country nor should they be afraid.

The opening of the media space is going to be critical for this to happen. Zimbabweans have, in the past, been starved of new information that they could have used to think and act differently. This created a sense that there is no outside to ZANU (PF).

The repetitive narrative that has been regurgitated in state media sought to create conformity based on lies and the manipulation of events through the media, to justify a centralized political system with no new ideas about the future. It justified the continued political and economic domination of many by a few.

The suffering we have endured must surely be a lesson to all of us that, as long we remain passive our circumstances will not change.

In my opinion, freedom comes with responsibility and I doubt that most of us are aware of the power we have to change our circumstances.

Vince Musewe is an economist based in Harare. You may contact him on vtmusewe [at] gmail [dot] com
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Our Zimbabwe needs a new vibrant, corrupt-free government which is pro-poor, people centred & respects people’s rights, freedoms & rule of law. And, more importantly uphold the constitution.
- Obvious in Chikomba East