MDC-T supports Cabinet decision on census

2012 August 09 19:00:30 | 2076 Views

The Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T) today said they "fully support the decision of the Cabinet to remove the military and other offices from the census exercise".

MDC-T through their website, called upon the government to "reign in on the unruly elements masquerading as security officers of the country".

Read the unedited statement as published on the MDC-T website:

Over the past few days the national population census exercise has been marred by unprecedented chaos and confusion. This chaos and confusion has been caused by an unprofessional move by the army, the intelligence, the police and Zanu PF militia to dominate the process.

A record 10 000 army and Zanu PF youth officers are reported to have been conscripted into the census at the expense of school teachers and other civil servants who have traditionally carried this exercise for the country.

The involvement of the army, the intelligence and Zanu PF youth officers is a well planned move to militarise this civilian process. It is clearly meant to falsify the results of the census, which results may provide pointers in areas where elections were rigged to suit Zanu PF in the past.

Secondly, those behind these sordid moves wanted to use this opportunity to allow soldiers, intelligence officers and Zanu PF youth officers to harass and intimidate Zimbabweans into supporting Zanu PF in the coming election.

Thirdly, Zanu PF hoped to abuse the census to force a delimitation of the constituencies that would increase seats in areas they think they dominate.

The MDC therefore, hails the decision of the Cabinet at the behest of the Minister of Finance to order the removal of soldiers and youth officers from this exercise.

The MDC believes that the national census is an important national and international exercise whose results will be relied upon to make important national and international socio-economic decisions.

Zimbabweans now appreciate that peace in Zimbabwe is being undermined by Zanu PFâ€™s firm grip on and gross abuse of the armed forces. These elements behind the disturbances of the census exercise are the same elements behind the stalling of the Constitution-making process.

We fully support the decision of the Cabinet to remove the military and other offices from the census exercise. We call upon the government to reign in on the unruly elements masquerading as security officers of the country.

Under no circumstances should this census be allowed to proceed under the current chaotic conditions.

Zimbabweans deserve better. They need to know the correct standing of the countryâ€™s population in order to transform our economy and create jobs and investment opportunity instead of politicking.

The past is another country. The chaos in Zimbabwe has to end now, and a new generation of tolerance, honest and truthfulness created

MDC-T

Source: Byo24News