Tsvangirai says Mugabe is a puppet of the military

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday said Zimbabwe African national Union-Patriotic Front leader Robert Mugabe was a puppet of the military which continued to mislead him.

Addressing a rally at Chibuku Stadium in Chitungwiza, Tsvangirai, who is winding up his campaign today, said Mugabe had refused to relinquish power after being defeated by the MDC in 2002, 2005 and 2008.

Mugabe won the 2002 presidential elections but the MDC disputed the result.

ZANU-PF won a two-thirds majority in 2005 with the MDC dropping from 57 to 41 seats and the party split a few months later.

The MDC-T won one seat more than ZANU-PF in the 2008 parliamentary elections.

Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the first round of the presidential vote in 2008 but this was not an outright victory which necessitated a run-off. Tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off because of violence.

Tsvangirai said when elected into power he will not overstay his welcome but would pass on the button at the appropriate time to the younger and upcoming politicians within the MDC.

“Overstaying in power is not part of my philosophy, when the time for me to leave comes, I will hand over power to someone else in accordance to our constitution” he said.

He said it is a travesty of justice for a 90 year Mugabe to seek re-election and run this country for another five years. ZANU-PF had failed to manage its succession politics hence they were now stuck with an octogenarian whose capacity to run the affairs of this country have become questionable.

Mugabe wound up his campaign yesterday.

The military has said it will not salute Tsvangirai raising the spectre that he would not last if he won the elections.

In the MDC’s own words:

MDC to embark on a transformative agenda – President Tsvangirai

“We are two days left before achieving real change” said President Tsvangirai during his address to thousands of party supporters who thronged Chibuku Stadium in chitungwiza today. He said the next election presented an opportunity for Zimbabweans to express their choice between a brutal regime and a peaceful, caring and democratic government.

He said for the past years Mugabe has refused to relinquish power even after being defeated by the the MDC in the 2002, 2005 and 2008 elections. President Tsvangirai said Mugabe was not his own man but a puppet of the military who continue to mislead him. The President warned those who brook intentions to subvert the will of the people saying such intentions are not only malicious but retrogressive.

President Tsvangirai said when elected into power he will not overstay his welcome but would pass on the button at appropriate time to the younger and upcoming politicians within the file and rank of the MDC. “Overstaying in power is not part of my philosophy, when the time for me to leave comes, I will hand over power to someone else in accordance to our constitution” the President said.

The President said it is a travesty of justice for a 90 year Mugabe to seek re-election and run this country for another 5 years. He said Zanu PF had failed to manage its succession politics hence they were now stuck with an octogenarian whose capacity to run the affairs of this country have become questionable.

The President said he was giving 2 days to all those institutions whose mandate is to protect and serve the people to declare their non partisanship. He took a swipe at ZEC for not demonstrating transparency in its handling of the coming elections.

He said ZEC continued to change goal posts with regards to the handling of the coming elections saying just recently ZEC had changed the rule regarding the counting of ballot papers at polling stations. He said this scenario is totally unacceptable.

He said he was going to lodge his displeasure with the observer team in the country to ensure that this election is conducted in a transparent and credible manner.

The President said once elected into office he will not engage in retributive agenda but will seek to unite the people. “On Thursday we will go straight into the programme of rebuilding Zimbabwe, we will not pursue a retributive agenda but focus on issues that affect the people of Zimbabwe,” said president Tsvangirai.

Turning to the collapsed industry in Chitungwiza, the President said the next MDC government will ensure that these industries like Madzoni and Contextiles are reopened to create employment for thousands in the dormitory town of Chitungwiza.

The President promised the people of Chitungwiza that the MDC government will deal with challenges affecting them such as the sewer system, water and sanitation.

President Tsvangirai said Zanu PF policies were not friendly to investors which is why MDC had come up with a jobs plan through JUICE and ART. He said MDC had come up with policies that would attract investors and turn the lives of many Zimbabweans. On Social welfare the President said, the MDC government will make sure that the vulnerable groups such as the elderly, ophans,widows and the handicapped are taken care of. “It is government’s responsibility to look after the vulnerable groups and we will put in place mechanisms to care for our disadvantaged people in society,” president Tsvangirai said.

He said corruption in Zanu PF was endemic and had resulted in the collapse of this country’s economy. “Zanu PF has all along condoned corruption within its rank and file, but we in the MDC have a Zero tolerance on corruption. We fired all corrupt councillors of Chitungwiza but who retained them? it was Chombo of Zanu PF,” said President Tsvangirai. He encouraged Zimbabweans to come out in their numbers and vote the corrupt regime out.

The President was accompanied by his wife and members of the national executive

31 July – I Vote for Change!!!

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