ELLIS MNYANDU & JEREMY LOVELL, Bulawayo | Thursday 4.50pm.
ZIMBABWE’s opposition succeeded on Thursday in a last ditch attempt to win more time to nominate candidates for parliamentary elections scheduled for June 24-25.
The Movement for Democratic Change has taken its case to court, arguing that a postponement is vital if it is to field a full team of candidates in the vote — which could see a real challenge to President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF.
The government side told the court in Harare it has no objection to pushing back the original May 29 closing date. ”By consent, the nomination date for elections…is moved from May 29 to June 3,” Judge Godfrey Chidyausiku said.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai welcomed the decision. ”It is the only logical thing to do. It gives us time to check the boundaries and the voters’ roll,” he said in Bulawayo, where he later addressed 8000 supporters at a rally.
At the rally Tsvangirai accused Mugabe of ruining the country and vowed to get people back to work if it wins next month’s general elections.
He said Mugabe and his ruling Zanu-PF party have entrenched corruption, wrecked the economy and caused widespread poverty during 20 years in power.
”We have one chance and one chance only to get rid of Zanu-PF and put this country back on its feet,” he said to cheering and applause.
Unemployment is running at over 50% and inflation is close to 60%. Fuel shortages and a dire lack of foreign exchange have brought the economy close to collapse.
”We do not hate Robert Mugabe. What we hate is the system he has put in place. If the MDC implements its economic programme we will get employment,” Tsvangirai added.
Mugabe, who does not himself face elections until 2002, has called parliamentary elections for June 24-25.
Critics accuse Mugabe of unleashing a nationwide wave of violence as thousands of Zanu-PF supporters and veterans of the former Rhodesia’s liberation war have occupied nearly 1000 of the country’s 4500 mainly white-owned commercial farms. — Reuters
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