By Nomusa Garikai | A statement from Embassy of Canada following the Zimbabwe Constitutional Court’s decision is a great disappointment!

“We commend all actors for their decision to put forward their differing positions in a peaceful manner, respecting the Zimbabwean Constitution and the rule of law. We hope they promote calm and restraint in responding to the verdict. We also take note of calls for dialogue to promote peace such as from the Zimbabwe Council of Churches,” reads the statement.

It continues saying, “all political parties campaigned on platforms which acknowledged the need for a process of ongoing reform including political, electoral, human rights and economic. Indeed, at observer missions, domestic and international, have pointed to the need to rectify a number of systemic challenges to the electoral process. We call on the new government to move quickly to formulate a plan to identify and enact reforms based on discussions with all Zimbabweans.”

A forlorn wish to say the very least!

There was a raft of democratic reforms agreed at the onset of the 2008 GNU following the blatant cheating and wanton violence in that year’s elections. Not even one reform was ever implemented in the five years of the GNU. All political players from both sides of the political divide know this.

MDC leaders have failed to get even one reform implemented because they sold-out. Zanu PF have openly admitted that they will not “reform themselves out of office”.

We do not need any more discussions on reforms. What we need is an opportunity to force the implementation of the reforms. By declaring these elections null and void the international community will help force this Zanu PF dictatorship to accept the political reality that since it will not implement any reforms it must step aside and allow the appointment of an interim administration that will get this important task done.

President Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections, he failed to keep his promise.

After 38 years of rigged elections, with the nation in serious economic and political trouble, what Zimbabwe needs is to implement the democratic reforms and break this cycle of rigged elections followed by years of corrupt and tyrannical rule. We do not need to discuss what reforms we need, we know them already!

Do you serious believe the country is stuck in this rut of rigged elections because there are no Zimbabweans out there who know what reforms are required to stop Zanu PF rigging elections? Please, stop being so patronising! – zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk