/ 2 August 2013

Zimbabwe’s MDC-T holds emergency election meeting

Zimbabwe's Mdc T Holds Emergency Election Meeting

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora told the Mail & Guardian that his party’s standing committee was holding an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the way forward as Zanu-PF continues to stretch its lead after Wednesday’s general election.

“There are all sorts of ideas coming up, but we are meeting … to strategise. It’s clear that the election was a sham and we have rejected the results. The national executive of the party will also meet tomorrow [Saturday] on the same subject,” he said.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has so far announced results in 62 constituencies in Bulawayo, Harare, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo and Matabeleland South and of these, Zanu-PF has taken 52 seats.

It is becoming increasingly clear that President Robert Mugabe will win the presidential election, without a run-off, as he will get more than the required 50% of votes. The party is also destined for a majority in Parliament, and Zimbabweans are bracing themselves for Zanu-PF to make changes to the Constitution.

Zanu-PF’s performance has shocked many Zimbabweans who were expecting a tightly contested battle between Mugabe and MDC-T head and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. Political analysts had predicted a run-off between Mugabe and Tsvangirai with the leader of the smaller MDC party, Welshman Ncube, becoming a kingmaker.

Political analysts also predicted a hung Parliament.

Making inroads
The results indicated that Zanu-PF made in inroads in provinces previously dominated by the MDC, including Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South.

The ZEC confirmed that the Mbare Constituency in Harare was won by Zanu-PF and indications were that the party would claim six more seats in the MDC-T stronghold.

In the Zanu-PF strongholds of Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West, the party is winning by huge margins.

But the MDC-T says people were intimidated into voting for Zanu-PF. The party also believes the voters’ roll was manipulated by the registrar general’s office with the assistance of an Israeli intelligence company Nikuv.

Thousands of people couldn’t vote after failing to find their names on the voters’ roll, while some people found their names in wards and constituencies where they had not registered.