News / National
Supporters tell Tsvangirai not to boycott elections
22 Jan 2015 at 16:43hrs | Views
MDC-T supporters here have appealed to party leader Morgan Tsvangirai to support a process through the National Executive Council to reverse its decision to boycott the coming by-election in the Chirumanzu-Zibagwe constituency.
The party it using the boycott to pressure Zanu-PF to institute long overdue electoral reforms including access to the electronic voters roll and the public media and an immediate halt to intimidation of MDC members by traditional leaders.
However minutes seen by The Zimbabwean of a recent district executive meeting of the MDC-T held in Mvuma show that the local leadership conducted a survey among its grassroots that showed the general feeling was that the party should take part in the polls.
Supporters felt this was "to get a picture of the updated rigging mechanisms and electoral malpractices of Zanu-PF ahead of the 2018 elections." Some felt it would enable the party to weigh whether its popularity had dwindled or risen since the 2013 polls.
Others felt the party could spring a surprise victory because Zanu-PF was still dithering between imposing Mnangagwa's son, Emmerson Junior, or his wife, Auxilia, and there could be protest votes from within due to the imposition of candidates.
The district's party organising secretary, Thasiseio Manyemba, was sent by the executive last week to lobby Tsvangirai for support. He said he handed the petition to the national secretary for elections, Murisi Zvizvai, as Tsvangirai was understood to be in Kenya.
Ishamael Jeko, the MDC-T candidate who stood against Mnangagwa in 2013, said he was ready to do it again if the party asked him to do so.
The party it using the boycott to pressure Zanu-PF to institute long overdue electoral reforms including access to the electronic voters roll and the public media and an immediate halt to intimidation of MDC members by traditional leaders.
However minutes seen by The Zimbabwean of a recent district executive meeting of the MDC-T held in Mvuma show that the local leadership conducted a survey among its grassroots that showed the general feeling was that the party should take part in the polls.
Supporters felt this was "to get a picture of the updated rigging mechanisms and electoral malpractices of Zanu-PF ahead of the 2018 elections." Some felt it would enable the party to weigh whether its popularity had dwindled or risen since the 2013 polls.
Others felt the party could spring a surprise victory because Zanu-PF was still dithering between imposing Mnangagwa's son, Emmerson Junior, or his wife, Auxilia, and there could be protest votes from within due to the imposition of candidates.
The district's party organising secretary, Thasiseio Manyemba, was sent by the executive last week to lobby Tsvangirai for support. He said he handed the petition to the national secretary for elections, Murisi Zvizvai, as Tsvangirai was understood to be in Kenya.
Ishamael Jeko, the MDC-T candidate who stood against Mnangagwa in 2013, said he was ready to do it again if the party asked him to do so.
Source - zimbabwean
