MDC wants presidential elections only next year

The Movement for Democratic Change led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai today said the country should hold presidential elections only next year with parliamentary elections being held in 2013.

This was one of the decisions reached by the party’s national executive committee and national council which also decided that the party will hold its congress  by 30 May next year.

The party said the council  had noted and restated the position that an election in Zimbabwe should be held to deal with the question of illegitimacy associated with the farcical Presidential run-off election of June 2008.

“For the avoidance of doubt, council resolves that the next election should be solely for the disputed Presidential election of 2008 with a harmonised election to be held in 2013 as prescribed in the Constitution,” the party said.

 “Further, council restates that ZANU- PF nor its President do not have the right of unilaterally calling for the aforesaid Presidential election and that Article 23.1.b of the GPA and the 8th Schedule of the Constitution which requires agreement, should be respected.”

Zimbabwe held its last elections in 2008 in which ZANU-PF and the MDC were almost tied in the lower house with the MDC winning 100 seats, ZANU-PF 99, MDC-M 10 and Jonathan Moyo walking away with one seat as an independent.

Tsvangirai beat Robert Mugabe in the presidential elections but failed to attain the required majority  necessitating a re-run which Tsvangirai pulled out of because of the violence that was unleashed by ZANU-PF.

The 2008 elections were harmonised with voters electing the president, members of parliament and councillors at one goal.

It was not clear, therefore,  what the MDC meant by saying that harmonised elections will be held in 2013 if presidential elections are held next year.

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