HARARE -Award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has warned that Zimbabwe’s opposition faces an uphill battle in the upcoming August elections.
In a series of tweets, Chin’ono said that the opposition has only two months to prepare for the polls, and they face a number of challenges.
One of the biggest challenges for the opposition is the lack of a voters roll. A voters roll is a list of all eligible voters, and it is essential for ensuring that elections are free and fair. Without a voters roll, it is difficult to ensure that all eligible voters are able to cast their ballots.
Another challenge for the opposition is the fact that ZANU-PF, the ruling party, has a history of using state resources to campaign. This gives ZANU-PF a significant advantage over the opposition, which has to rely on private donations.
Despite these challenges, the opposition has vowed to participate in the elections. They believe that it is important to take part in the democratic process, even if the playing field is not level.
“As Professor Steven Levitsky says in his book, How Democracies Die, opposition parties should always compete regardless of the electoral conditions,” said Chin’ono. “If they don’t, dictatorships will always have bogus opposition leaders like Douglas Mwonzora to use in order to create a false image of opposition politics.”
The opposition is also hoping to get as many people registered to vote as possible. The more people who are registered to vote, the harder it will be for ZANU-PF to rig the elections.
The August elections are a crucial moment for Zimbabwe. The outcome of the polls will determine the future of the country. The opposition is determined to do everything they can to win the elections and bring about change.
“The biggest tragedy and nightmare is ZANUPF coming back with a two thirds majority,” said Chin’ono. “Zimbabwe would be in a huge mess if that were to happen!”
Everyone has a role to play in ensuring that ZANU-PF does not win the elections. Zimbabweans need to register to vote and then turn out to vote in August. Your vote matters, use it!
In addition to the challenges mentioned by Chin’ono, the opposition also faces a number of other obstacles, including:
- A history of political violence and intimidation
- A weak and divided opposition
- A lack of resources
- A lack of public trust in the electoral process
Despite these challenges, the opposition remains hopeful that they can win the August elections. They are calling on Zimbabweans to register to vote and to turn out to vote on election day.
“The future of Zimbabwe depends on it,” said Chin’ono.
Source -MasimbaNews āšæ
