1. I had an interest exchange with some senior Zanu PF leader this week. I had been ignoring their unsolicited DM for weeks until I felt like telling them off so they leave me alone. Sadly I didn't know I could end up having some very interesting discussion.
2. The fellow thought I had some leverage on the MDCA and argued that the continued lack of legitimacy of our electoral system was not only causing serious damage to the Country but also both Zanu PF and MDC.
3. He thinks it is in the best interest of both political formations for the Country's electoral system to gain some legitimacy to the system. His argument is that Zanu PF is in flames because of this legitimacy question.
4. He argues that the average Zanu PF failthful is actually wants to have a legitimately elected leader and there will likely be a lot of protest votes or apathy in 2023 unless the legitimacy issues are settled.
5. On the other hand, he also believes that the MDCA faces similar protest votes or apathy because many supporters and sympathizers are now convinced that they votes don't really matter.
6. His suggestion was that the best way forward is for the Country to come up with a bipartisan electoral reform project but feels that it should be done outside Parliament. This is where the discussion became really interesting.
7. I was surprised that someone who has served as a legislator before and whose political party controls both houses of Parliament would suggest a electoral reform that bypasses parliament. His response was strange.
8. He is convinced that some of the most effective minds that could help craft a much more progressive electoral system are outside parliament. This made me ask him a curious question. What qualifies one to be a legislator in Zimbabwe?
9. His response was as honest and brutal as they come. 90% of Zanu PF legislators are deadwood he claims. He can't speak for the other side but believes he wouldn't be shocked if they have the same problem.
10. I pushed back hard and suggested that he was accusing the electorate of being uninformed and to my shock he stated that we have an uninformed electorate in Zimbabwe and he shoulders the blame.
11. He challenged me to conduct a simple research. What do ordinary people expect from their MP? He argues that I should not be surprised that 90% of the responses would be wrong answers.
12. This got me thinking. What exactly are our civil society organization doing about this apparent electoral illiteracy in Zimbabwe? We surely have one of the highest concentration of civil society organizations in Africa. Why would they not focus on such a high priority area?
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