‘MDC-T must accept election results, work with Zanu-PF’

Harare Bureau
MDC secretary general, Ms Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga yesterday urged the MDC-T to accept election results and join hands with Zanu-PF in building the nation. Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga, who secured a Parliamentary seat through proportional representation, said there was need to accept what happened on 31 July 2013 and improve on weaknesses for future elections instead of continued preoccupation with the past.

She said this in the National Assembly while making a contribution to the Presidential speech and received a standing ovation from mainly Zanu-PF legislators.

MDC-T has sought to discredit the election in which it suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Zanu-PF which won resoundingly in polls widely given a clean bill of health by progressive organisations.

Sadc, African Union, Comesa and other individual countries and local and foreign institutions described the poll that saw Zanu-PF romping to victory as free, fair and credible.

In her contribution, Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said Zanu-PF as the party that won, should not continue treating its election competitors as enemies so as to seek legitimacy from them.

“The first thing that we need to do, painful as it may, is to acknowledge that July 31 happened and it’s done. However, even as we move on we need to say what is it we should do better? We also can not have us, as an opposition party, sit and fold our hands and say chitongai tiwone expecting that something wrong would happen. That is not the way,” said Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga.

“The President, when he officially opened Parliament, said the elections were held in a peaceful environment. I don’t disagree with him.”
She said what was required were sober and unemotional minds to accept what happened and move forward and think how to do better in 2018.

“But holding the different positions that we have right now, we will not make 2018 any different from what it is right now. We need a leadership from both sides that begins to say, yes we have a problem but we will deal with it,” she said.

“We need to go back to the drawing board and begin to look at these things in a sober and unemotional manner. This is why I am saying the more women we have in this House the more we will begin to have sense.”

Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said it was unfortunate that the elections though peaceful had left the politicians polarised.
“Even as we move forward we need to say to ourselves what is it that we should do better next time? What is it that makes us so divided and so polarized? That can not happen by us, sitting on the opposite side and throwing stones at each other,” she said.

“It’s not about winning an argument but building the nation. Building a nation takes humility,” she said.
Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga however surprised fellow legislators when she commended the role played by the three principals of the inclusive Government but left out former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.

She lauded President Mugabe, MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC leader, Professor Welshman Ncube for setting the tone but remained silent on the role of Prof Mutambara.

This triggered some interjections from the floor with some MPs shouting Prof Mutambara’s name.