Election dates: PM vacillates

MDC leader, Professor Welshman Ncube accused his MDC-T counterpart of flip-flopping on election dates saying confusion was reigning supreme at Harvest House ahead of harmonised elections which, constitutionally, should be held on or before the expiry of the Seventh Parliament at midnight June 29.

Speaking to The Herald yesterday, Prof Ncube said Mr Tsvangirai had given three election dates this year that he later changed.

“In February this year after their Monday meetings with President Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister (Arthur) Mutambara, as spokesperson of the three principals in Government Mr Tsvangirai announced that the principals generally agreed to hold the elections at the end of June or mid July,” he said.

This position dovetails with the constitutional requirement that President Mugabe has been reiterating as the period for the harmonised elections.

Prof Ncube, however, said Mr Tsvangirai, who is Prime Minister in the inclusive Government, gave yet another date when the leaders of the inclusive Government were invited by South African President Mr Jacob Zuma to attend the Africa Cup of Nations closing ceremony in February this year.

“We were all invited to Afcon by President Zuma and while we were there, Zanu-PF and the MDC-T were of the same view that the elections should be held by mid July. We (MDC) were the only ones who were saying while we were in South Africa you cannot say what time you are going to hold the elections before you even finish the Constitution-making process, amend the electoral laws as required by the new Constitution.

However, Mr Tsvangirai was insisting that we should have the elections by July,” he said.
Prof Ncube said when the Sadc observer mission to the referendum arrived in Harare, Mr Tsvangirai again changed his position and gave July as the latest date for polls.

Related Stories…

The Sadc team was led by Mr Bernard Membe who was representing Troika chairperson President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania.
Prof Ncube said his party learnt of the new dates after the observer mission came to him trying to verify the dates.

“The Sadc observer mission came to observe the referendum, they met Mr Tsvangirai who said it was by consensus that the polls will be held by mid July.
“The team came to us to verify whether what Mr Tsvangirai was saying was true or not and we said we were not party to that agreement. Now he is talking of having the elections by September,” said Prof Ncube.

Mr Tsvangirai’s behaviour dovetails with assessments made by his party’s treasurer general, the self-exiled Roy Bennett who said Mr Tsvangirai remembers the advice of the last person he would have spoken to; and former US ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Christopher Dell who described Mr Tsvangirai as a ‘‘weak, indecisive individual.’’

Prof Ncube said his party’s position was that the elections should be held after all processes have been implemented.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora, accused Prof Ncube of vilifying Mr Tsvangirai.

He defended Mr Tsvangirai, saying elections were supposed to be held after the implementation of a number of reforms.
“Prof Ncube must stop his well known diatribe against our leader Dr Tsvangirai. Prime Minister Dr Tsvangirai is right in giving these dates, insisting on the fulfilment of some conditions before the elections are held.

“We do not want this election to be a repeat of the 2008 election (that did not produce a winner on the first round of polls).”