MDC-T to contest Bikita West by-election
By Never Kadungure | Nehanda Politics |
HARARE – The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai will contest the soon to be held Bikita West by-election even though the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is still using a highly secretive and contentious voter’s roll that is dominated by Zanu PF supporters.
The by-election could be held at a time ZEC is failing to make available a copy of the country’s voters’ roll citing a variety of excuses the latest of which is that “there is a technical fault in the equipment used to produce the roll.”
Party spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said the party would take part despite some challenges in obtaining the electronic voters’ roll adding that like the 31 July harmonised elections, the conditions remained not conducive for holding a free, fair and credible by-election that will represent the will of the people.
“However, we will participate in the by-election because the MDC was formed to run the government through democratic and peaceful electoral means,” Mwonzora said. The lawyer turned politician urged the regional bloc, SADC, AU and the UN to send its observers to monitor the elections.
By-elections in Bikita West are likely to be held after Zanu PF wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, claiming the winner of the seat Dr Munyaradzi Kereke had been expelled from the party thereby creating a vacancy in Parliament under laws contained in the new constitution.
According the new Constitution, whenever a vacancy occurs the Electoral Commission must cause an election to be held within 90 days to fill the vacancy. Kereke meanwhile has approached the Constitutional Court claiming he had already ceased to be a Zanu PF member when he contested the seat.
