I will tell you what I am trying to drive to; elections in Africa and in Zimbabwe in particular are a declaration of war between the contesting parties. We have seen this happening in this country. That is why year in, year out when we talk about elections we talk about violence. There is somebody who told us Africans that elections are equivalent to democracy, they are not. In Zimbabwe Madam Speaker ever since 2013 we have had more elections in this country than the United States has had ever since 1960, but can you tell me that there is more democracy in Zimbabwe than there is in the United States, I do not think so.
Madam Speaker, why I say elections seem to be a declaration of war in this jurisdiction, I will tell you about a recent development. A former Member of Parliament who has not left Parliament Ambrose Mutinhiri forms a new political party. If we then go to State media, they have been bashing Ambrose Mutinhiri as if he has committed a crime but what he has simply done is exercise his right to associate with a political party of his choice. He has done nothing absolutely wrong but if you look at the State Media, they have gone all out to say things about him. They have gone out to talk about his role in the liberation struggle that when Commander Nikita Mangena died, he was not there and they have said a lot of things that he is beholden to former President Mugabe, as if it is a crime to be beholden to former President Mugabe; it is not a crime. If Ambrose Mutinhiri wants to join any party, he is able to join any party of his choice because it is his constitutional right to do that. I might not agree with him because for me, I would have preferred for him to come and join the MDC-T, but it is still his constitutional right to join any party of his choice.
Madam Speaker, why is it that Zimbabwe is perennially in an election mode. Perennially, Zimbabwe is electioneering. I remember after the 2013 elections, former President Mugabe went to address some gathering. The first thing he spoke about was not the economy or social welfare. He spoke about the need to win the next elections, 2018 elections. That was soon after the election of 2013 when he started talking about winning the election in 2018. Why is it that as a country, we are constantly, perennially talking about electioneering? I can guarantee you that after the 2018 elections, two months after that election, people will be talking about the 2023 elections as if there is nothing to talk about. The economy is in shambles yet we are going to get into the election.
We were talking to ZEC this morning. ZEC have submitted a bid to the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. They want $148 million. The Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has spoken to Treasury and Treasury can only spare $95 million. Madam Speaker, if $95 million were to be put into social services of this country, it would transform the lives of millions of people, but we are going into an election and putting $95 million which we do not have.
I will leave that aside, but we must get into an election because people need to elect people to govern them, people that they want. The Constitution says we must go into an election. We must not get into an election as a ritual. This election must be able to produce an outcome that people respect, but the problem we have in Zimbabwe is we are getting into an election as a ritual that must happen every five years.
Madam Speaker, the Constitution talks about a number of things. It talks about the need for everyone to participate in an election. Whenever the President, whenever the Minister of Finance and Economic Development is talking about money coming to Zimbabwe, revenue streams, he talks about the diaspora. That we are going to have so much money coming from the diaspora, this year we expect to have so much money coming from the diaspora, but Madam Speaker, the diaspora is not participating in the suffrage. What we need is their money, but we do not need their vote.
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