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*OPINION: Democracy In Under Siege - The Standard* *Follow Pindula on WhatsApp for daily new updates* https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va84dngJP21B2nWeyM3v?ts An opinionist writing for The Standard has said the suspension of by-elections by the Ministry of Health using SI 225A of 2020 was a direct attack on democracy especially after it came after the reopening of schools and some ports of entry which increases human traffic into Zimbabwe. The columnist opined: ---------- *HOT DEALS:* *itel A70 - (128GB, 3GB RAM) $89,* *itel A70 - (256GB, 4GB RAM) $99* *itel P40 (128GB, 4GB), (6000mAh) $99* *itel P40 (64GB, 4G), (6000mAh) $93* *LATEST: itel S24 (128) $124; S24 (256GB) $159* Cash on Delivery in Harare & Bulawayo. Tinotumira kwamuri inosvika. WhatsApp: 0️⃣7️⃣8️⃣3️⃣ 4️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ 7️⃣9️⃣3️⃣ ---------- > Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s suspension of by-elections cannot be read in isolation as it is part of a well-thought-out strategy to stifle democracy in Zimbabwe.n > Chiwenga on Friday amended the Covid-19 regulations to stop the holding of parliamentary and municipal by-elections scheduled for December 5. > The Covid-19 pandemic was used as a perfect cover for the latest grand scheme to weaken the mainstream opposition party through the misuse of the law and pure political skulduggery. > Chiwenga said the suspension of the polls would remain in force as long as Covid-19 was “a formidable epidemic disease. His announcement came a day after Zimbabwe re-opened its airports for international travellers on October 1. > It also came hard on the heels of the reopening of schools for examination classes and the announcement that by November 9 all children would have returned to school. > The economy has largely reopened and it’s now business as usual for most people. This is precisely why Chiwenga’s suspension of elections left tongues wagging. > It is, however, easy to connect the dots given what has been happening on the political scene where MDC-T interim leader Thokozani Khupe is running amok, recalling legitimate people’s representatives from Parliament and local authorities. > Khupe, who polled a measly 45 000 votes in the 2018 presidential elections, is using a controversial Supreme Court judgement on the Morgan Tsvangirai succession dispute to purportedly discipline MPs and councillors from the rival MDC Alliance. > The former deputy prime minister is being aided by state institutions in her crusade against the mainstream opposition. > On Friday she foisted herself on the electorate that rejected her in the previous polls after she and her hangers-on took up MDC Alliance proportional representation seats in Parliament. > President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s mission to create a pliant opposition that mirrors his scandalous Political Actors Dialogue is almost complete and Chiwenga’s ban on by-elections should be read in that context. > The clear plan is to squeeze the MDC Alliance using all manner of dirty tactics until it ceases to be a formidable threat to Zanu PF rule. > Some might choose to see it as political gamesmanship by the Mnangagwa administration and choose to watch from the terraces, but in the long run such a stance could come back to haunt Zimbabweans in the future. > The 2017 military coup that toppled Robert Mugabe and ushered in Mnangagwa should have taught us a lesson that once politicians are allowed to trample on the constitution when it suits them, there is nothing that stops them from pushing the boundaries further. > The assault on the mainstream opposition and the banning of by-elections is an attack on democracy and history will judge Zimbabweans harshly if they do not raise their voices against this travesty of justice. Source: The Standard _If you found this article useful_ *Please support Pindula by forwarding to friends and groups*
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