News / National
MDC-T backtracks on election ruling
04 Jun 2013 at 23:55hrs | Views
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) on Monday backtracked after Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai questioned a ruling on Friday by the Constitutional Court that ordered President Robert Mugabe to announce an election date before July 31.
The about-turn has drawn criticism from political observers who say the MDC has again given in to Mr Mugabe's demands, the Business Day reported.
Mr Tsvangirai's authority, which has been eroded in the past four years in the nominal power-sharing government, has been under scrutiny. Junior Zanu-PF ministers routinely defy his orders while Mr Mugabe continually makes key decisions unilaterally and the military's top brass tacitly refuses to recognise him.
On Monday, MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora dismissed as "Zanu-PF propaganda" reports that the MDC was seeking to delay elections because it was not ready.
"For the avoidance of any doubt, the MDC is ready for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. That means for the MDC, the issue is not about the date of the elections, it is about the conditions under which these elections are held," Mr Mwonzora said.
"To that end, reforms to ensure the total eradication of all forms of state-sponsored violence must be completed first."
The MDC is pressing for reforms in the security and media sectors which are outlined in a Southern African Development Community (Sadc)-endorsed election roadmap.
Zanu-PF official Rugare Gumbo at the weekend cast aside any pretension that the party plans to meet Global Political Agreement requirements. He is quoted as saying calls for reforms (by Sadc and other bodies) before elections have been overtaken by the new constitution, which he said would be grounds for free and fair elections.
Sadc, which is to hold a weekend summit conference in Maputo, has insisted that all reforms be honoured before the elections are held.
The about-turn has drawn criticism from political observers who say the MDC has again given in to Mr Mugabe's demands, the Business Day reported.
Mr Tsvangirai's authority, which has been eroded in the past four years in the nominal power-sharing government, has been under scrutiny. Junior Zanu-PF ministers routinely defy his orders while Mr Mugabe continually makes key decisions unilaterally and the military's top brass tacitly refuses to recognise him.
On Monday, MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora dismissed as "Zanu-PF propaganda" reports that the MDC was seeking to delay elections because it was not ready.
"To that end, reforms to ensure the total eradication of all forms of state-sponsored violence must be completed first."
The MDC is pressing for reforms in the security and media sectors which are outlined in a Southern African Development Community (Sadc)-endorsed election roadmap.
Zanu-PF official Rugare Gumbo at the weekend cast aside any pretension that the party plans to meet Global Political Agreement requirements. He is quoted as saying calls for reforms (by Sadc and other bodies) before elections have been overtaken by the new constitution, which he said would be grounds for free and fair elections.
Sadc, which is to hold a weekend summit conference in Maputo, has insisted that all reforms be honoured before the elections are held.
Source - BDLive
