Opinion / Columnist
'June by Election - Nation Taken at Ransom'
07 Apr 2015 at 02:35hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU) has labeled the impending June by-election as a unique doomed exercise brought about by mere 'dog fight and internal politicking' within the Movement For Democratic Change (MDC ) and the Zanu government putting at stake a country yearning for meaningful social, economic and legislative reforms .
ZAPU's alternate secretary general Dr Strike Mkandla made the attacks at a recent opposition party dialogue meeting held in Bulawayo.
"The June 2015 by-elections arising from the expulsion of fourteen (14) Members of Parliament by the Speaker (Hon. Jacob Mudenda) at the behest of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) on whose ticket they won the seats, is a new phenomenon in Zimbabwean politics," said ZAPU's alternate secretary general.
Mkandla reiterated his party's position on the June parliamentary with the party indicating its unwillingness to participate in the upcoming elections, citing lack of will to follow the new election guidelines outlined in the 2013 constitution, a matter that has seen the former dragging the Zanu government to court with the hearing set for April 27.
Dr Mkandla said the full adoption of the election mandate by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commision (ZEC), accessibility of voters' roll among other human rights issues are some of the key issues at stake.
Meanwhile the move to recall the parliamentarians in question by the speaker of parliament at the request of Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC has, according to observers worked for the Zanu party which is also entangled in some deep infighting ostensibly to purge perceived Mujuru loyalists, and ensure that all ZANU representatives in parliament owe their allegiance to president Robert Mugabe.
ZAPU, according to Dr Mkandla, is not however afraid of any election under the sun save for reservations on the processes surrounding elections adding that it's is still ongoing with its restructuring exercise in preparation of the 2018 general elections.
Source - Wellington Zimbowa
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