via We may boycott all elections, Chamisa 17 August 2014
THE MDC-T has said it was considering a general boycott of all by-elections in Zimbabwe arguing the entire electoral process remained patently skewed in favour of its Zanu PF rivals.
Party national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa told NewZimbabwe.com Saturday that the decision to snub future by-elections was a popular sentiment among party members.
“The decision is yet to be taken by the relevant organs, the executive and the national council,” Chamisa said.
He added: “ … but there is a very persuasive and dominant view that the central focus of the party should be to reform the manner in which elections are conducted in Zimbabwe, to make sure that the playing field is levelled, from a referee point of view to the extent that that has not been corrected or rectified.”
Since its defeat by Zanu PF in July last year, the Morgan Tsvangirai-led political formation has contested all local authority by-elections countrywide, losing all of them with huge margins.
Chamisa blames the defeats on a system he says remained evidently biased.
“It’s almost like a wild goose chase and a pie in the sky for anybody to think about deriving profit out of an electoral investment,” Chamisa said.
He continued: “We need to find a permanent solution to credible and legitimate elections.
“Since 1980, elections in this country have been a source of contestation and disputation and that cannot go unchecked because we end up with a very popular political party out of power and a very powerful political party without popularity.”
Reached for comment, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chair, Justice Rita Makarau, said the MDC-T had not yet placed any formal complaint before the elections agency.
She said she would not take the comments as an official position by the country’s main opposition.
“Because of that they haven’t complained to us, I have no comment to make,” she said.
“If they have a complaint to make, ask them to direct that to us and tell us which exact areas they want us to reform in terms of the whole procedure, then we can respond.”
The MDC-T has long been protesting the controversial handling of the country’s polls by President Robert Mugabe’s regime and blames its loss in last year’s general polls to what is says was a heavily militarised election management process.
The party earlier this year snubbed meetings which were convened by ZEC to review the July 31st elections saying this was a cosmetic attempt by a powerless authority to resolve a problem which lay beyond its capacity.
Writing in his “Personal Reflections” document June this year, ex-prime minister Tsvangirai regretted leading his party into contesting last year’s polls.
He said it was apparent his MDC-T was being led to the slaughter by Mugabe’s party, which had laid booby traps in the opposition’s wake through tinkering with the electoral process.
COMMENTS
We want an updated VOTER’s Roll RITA. Stop pretending that you do not know the concerns of everyone. Meanwhile enjoy your farm from ZANU PF.
Even Morgan has a farm from ZPF
How do you reconcile the issue of the on-going congress with the election boycott Mr Chamisa? They are both elections happening under similar conditions where people are really not free to participate. This is especially so given your template that was designed to favour you as an individual as the expense of the membership. To date we are told that the final interpretation of the document rests only with your person.
On the other hand a permanent solution refers to the extermination of Jews. A permanent solution resulted in the holocaust where 6 million innocent people were gassed for being born Jewish. We must choose your words carefully so that your message is does not offend others. May be it just shows your level of ignorance too.
it is never an election when the army is involved in the running of the vote when the electoral commission is answerable to the cio when the opposition won it took 5 weeks to announce the result and no diaspora vote thats election stupid
Tsvangison is done Chamisa. Boycott or not, you guys are now irrelevant period
Ko kudzokera kuGNU? Kupata. Makadzidziswa. Kuteyewa semakozho! Mamai! Usadherera njere dzaBob. Zvakatopera! Kana muchakamirirwa neChamahure hativuyiko! Chinjai moga electoral system.
If MDC is going to boycott all elections, then what strategy will it use to be relevant to governance in Zimbabwe?
Too little too late Chamisa.
Boycotting election should have been the first cry after or even before the 2013 elections. However its better late than never. If MDC had boycotted the elections last year ZANU PF would have been an illegal administration now. But because they rigged after participating, now the cry for rigged results seem to be a cry of the defeated. Its is common know in Zimbabwe that the one who announces the results decides everything thus why in Mugabe’s ears no one announces except the command center. In other countries and fair administration the results are announced by electoral officials. Army and security forces are never there. Mugabes rigs elections thus all.He knows no fair game
Totally confused people. Why don’t you just boycott politics altogether. Go and sit under a tree somewhere.
The MDC had its chance when the opportunity arose to control the appointments to ZEC..instead it put Kazembe, Gambe, Makarau etc there…so what did it expect would be different? A few good men like Feltoe and Nyathi could not reform the institution by themselves….
sit down and talk to all opposition factions chamisa, you have lost credibility so need to be part of the bigger opposition now…
Kkkkkk never !hamutongi muAfrica mayb in UK boycott even politics MrChamisa and crew.
Nelson…you childish minded…you were knocked down in last year;s July 31 General elections…to boycott the up-coming Elections that means you are a dead Party for ever….what strategies are you on???only demoralizing you few supporters…MDC-T Party is dead……..