OPPOSITION MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s call for his supporters to spoil the June 10 parliamentary by-elections ballot papers in protest against non-implementation of electoral reforms has been received with mixed reactions from some of his traditional backers.
BY NUNURAI JENA
Tsvangirai on Sunday told party supporters during a “No Reforms, No Elections” campaign rally in Tsholotsho that they should spoil their ballot papers if they were forced to participate in the polls.
The MDC-T, MDC led by Welshman Ncube and MDC Renewal Team led by Sekai Holland have boycotted the by-elections citing non-implementation of key reforms such as provision of an electronic voters’ roll, equal access to public media and depoliticisation of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission secretariat.
Zanu PF is likely to make a clean sweep of all the 16 seats as it contests against some smaller opposition parties and independent candidates with stakes tilted in its favour.
The seats fell vacant after the MDC-T recalled 21 legislators from Parliament accusing them of crossing the floor to the MDC Renewal Team.
ZimRights director Okay Machisa said his organisation supported Tsvangirai’s stance “because without electoral reforms, our elections will remain a fallacy”.
“Yes, we know that it is a democratic right for individuals to exercise their voting rights, but under the current situation, it is a waste of time and resources,” Machisa said.
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Election Resource Centre director Tawanda Chimhini said there was nothing amiss about the call for the electorate not to vote.
“Elections by their very nature are an opportunity for the canvassing of votes by either political parties or individuals who are standing for that election. In mature electoral democracies, this opportunity is also made use of by interest groups to also canvass for support on policy issues such as the environment, debt or any other public interest issue,” Chimhini said.
“Such canvassing is for either of the following: for the electorate to vote for an individual or party, for the electorate to vote for a cause and in some other instances for the electorate not to vote at all.”
But Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president George Nkiwane said people had a democratic right to vote for a candidate of their choice without being forced.
“We as ZCTU we believe that people have a democratic right to vote for a candidate or party of their choice freely,” Nkiwane said.
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said Tsvangirai had exposed himself as a “lost leader” who could not read the implications of his actions.
“It shows how limited he is in terms of capacity . . . whether some people did not vote, that will not change the winning candidate,” he said.
