MDC-T boycotts by-elections, alleges massive rigging

THE MDC-T party led by Morgan Tsvangirai has resolved to boycott future by-elections citing irregularities in the voter's role and massive rigging by their nemesis Zanu PF which has defeated MDC-T in all by-elections held after last year's harmonized elections.

But party insiders are adamant the move by the embattled party to withdraw was exacerbated by the heavy defeats at the hands of a resurgent Zanu-PF which recently trounced MDC-T in Chitungwiza Ward 25 where Zanu-PF's Simbiso Mhike polled 993 votes against a paltry 91 votes scored by  Kenneth Chinyaure (MDC-T).

The defeats have whittled the opposition party's perceived dominance in urban areas where it now largely plays second fiddle to Zanu-PF.

"This forced the party to converge and reflect on how to deal with its waning support base, a situation that has seen it resolving to stop participating in future by-elections," a State-run paper reported today.

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora confirmed yesterday that they had withdrawn from participating in by-elections citing what he called "an uneven playing field'' skewed in favour of Zanu-PF, according to the same publication.

"We have stopped participating in by-elections. We feel that the playing field is largely uneven.

"We need electoral reforms; we need access to election material like an electronic voters' roll among other reforms. When the resolution was reached, some of the candidates had already been nominated and therefore appeared on the ballot paper particularly in Chitungwiza," Mwonzora was quoted by the Herald.