CCC’s Suspension Of Primaries Daylight Dictatorship: Mavaza
25 February 2023
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SUSPENSION OF PRIMARY ELECTIONS BY CCC AN UNDEMOCRATIC MOVE AND A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY.

Voter, Mind The Dictator

By Dr Masimba Mavaza | Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) says it will do away with the traditional primary election system to choose party candidates for the impending harmonized elections set for later this year.

Speaking to journalists during a press conference this wee, CCC national spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said citizens will select party candidates through a sophisticated party template. “We received a number of enquires on what our candidate selection process will look like. ”

In actual fact Mr Chamisa, the leader of the main opposition party in Zimbabwe (the CCC), declared that he will be nominating his party’s parliamentary candidates for the 2023 harmonised elections in what CCC confirms to be a complicated system.
The announcement that Chamisa will hand pick and thrust upon the nation’s parlimentary candidates is, even by Mr Chamisa’s own owful democratic standards, a new low. This is a serious onslaught against democracy.

Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party’s candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or bye election. In a primary election voters are solely the members of a political party in what is called a closed primary. However, political parties control the method of nomination of candidates for office in the name of the party.
Primary elections are typically held for offices that have a rigid term, such as a president, member of a legislature or councillors. Offices which can be replaced without recourse to a new election, typically do not have dedicated primaries of their own; rather, the party typically nominates its internal party leader as its candidate for such an office.
Mr Chamisa and his Western sponsors have always argued that Chamisa repreesent the cause for liberty, democracy and and choice. The arguement is that Mr Chamisa’ s administration, should he win the elections, usher a hitherto unknown era of democracy in the country. When we hear these meaningless rumblings, many of us react with dismay at the sheer audacity of these deceptions by a dictator masquerading as a democrat.

CCC acts chillingly like vicious a man who beats the hell out of wife in his house and then masquarades as an advocate of human rights in the wider society. Why should women out there trust a perenial wife beater to act in their intetests? Similarly why should voters trust a perenial despot in his own party to respect any democratic values in Zimbabwe.
Voters must judge CCC with its undemocratic behaviour and the impunity with which it acts in their own party, not by empty proclamations of democracy.

CCC does not yet control the enforcement arms of the state such as prisons , low enforcement forces and state weapons and yet they act so ruthlessly against domocratic tenants. It is even scary to begin to imagine what a monster against democracy the party will be if it gets hold of power and state intruments. What makes it even more terrifying is that the man leading the part is not even self aware. He is the epitome of impunity. CCC represents the place where voters should not go to and Chamisa represents a figure that voters should avoid.

Imposition of parlimentary candidates will not be just an event. It will be the beginning of a proceess that will have far reaching impact not only on democratic culture but on the well being of our communities.

When Chamisa imposes a member of parliament in Kezi, for example, not only will he be insulting the communities in that particular constituency , but will be maiming and killing local democracy. Secondly, by filling parliament with his appointed stooges he will be killing national democracy .

Chamisa has no clue what parlimentary democracy means. Parlimentary democracy means election by the people, for the people and accountable to the people. Nomination means hand picking by the leader, for the leader and accountable to the leader.

In employment setups they say he who hires fires. In politics the equivalent is that a representative is accountable to their constituent. In this case chamisa will be the constituent.

An election provides the link between the elector and the representative. With Chamisa’s disgrace, there will be no link between his stooges and the the communities. Chamisa must look at the phenomenon of primary elections in Zanu PF and learn lessons on the link between those who vote at grassroots level and those who finally stand in parliament. Primary elections are not just an excercise in local choice, they ensure that a representative understands and speaks to local priorities. We are a diverse country in many ways and thst is why each constituency must send its own voice to parliament. It is even more than parliamentary work. This is also about MPs doing constituency work, talking to ministers, to the private sector etc on behalf of their constituencies. What does Chamisa know about local issues in Zaka, Chirumanzi, Mbalalabala?

Chamisa has a serious misapprehension of what democracy is. He thinks he has a natural right to be called a democrat, regardless of how he acts
He believes that Zanu PF must be eternally condemned regardless of any loudable efforts. He thinks he can wear the garb of democracy and act with impunity.

Mr Chamisa does not understand that the right to vote, which he is trumpling, was won by blood. Many did not return from the war. Parents lost their children. Children lost their parents. The man does not see the value of the right to vote . He thinks that freedom has always been there.

Chamisa acts like a pertulent son who inherits a mortgage purchased house soon after the death of his parents. He then sales and gambles away the proceeds. Such a pitable child has no clue of the toil and tears, the sacrifices that their parents put in buyinng and psying for the house.
CCC must not lie to its members that they are doing away with primaries in order to avoid infiltration. Anybody who is not affiliated with a party does not vote in a partisan, primary election.
Every ballot cast has an impact on our local communities.
It’s usually things that are very local and very personal, which makes primary elections democratic.
Primary elections determine which candidate will represent each political party in advance of a general election.
There are two main types of primaries: closed and open.
In a closed primary, voters may only cast their ballot for the party in which they are affiliated.
• An open primary allows voters to cast their ballot in either primary regardless of party affiliation.Primary elections give you, the voter, the opportunity to decide who from a pool of candidates should ultimately be nominated by your political party to run in the general election.Primary elections generally attract more partisan voters, which is how extreme candidates can end up on the ballot in a general election. Improving participation can help to moderate the outcomes.
Based on voter turnout and primary results, parties may rework their election strategy and devote more or less attention and resources towards certain demographics, states, and issues. On the other hand ZANU PF draw disproportionate attention in the presidential primaries because they hold the first caucus and primary election at Congress and often give a candidate the momentum to win their party’s nomination.
Candidates who receive mass support but ultimately don’t win primary elections can sometimes still influence the winning candidate and the platform they take to the general election.
So selecting candidate yes as opposed to electing them is a disaster and a direct attack on democracy.
The horns covered in lies are out CCC has now shown us it’s true colours.
It is seriously undemocratic to remove primary elections and appoint candidates. It simply means the parliament will be filled with partisan candidates who are only working for the appointing power. So the actions of the CCC is indeed undemocratic and it should be frowned at.
It will be dangerous to allow this to happen. We can only stop it by voting for ZANU PF which understands the pains of getting and fighting for freedom of choice. Democracy is never won democratically.

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