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WITH two days to go before the decisive harmonised elections on Wednesday, the country’s major political parties yesterday said they are geared up for the plebiscite and expressed satisfaction over preparations.Zanu-PF and MDCs have been holding their star rallies around the country with people turning up in large numbers.
President Mugabe concluded his star rallies yesterday in Harare at the National Sports Stadium. He addressed a huge rally in Bulawayo at White City Stadium on Saturday.
Zanu-PF spokesperson, Cde Rugare Gumbo said the revolutionary party is ready for elections and is confident of victory.
“We are ready for elections. People are attending our rallies in numbers and as a party we have prepared well for these elections,” Cde Gumbo said.
He also applauded the good work that the electoral body, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has done and is continually doing.
Said Cde Gumbo:
“The electoral process is progressing well and we are happy about that. Zec is doing its best to ensure that elections run smoothly. Preparations have been good, as ballot papers have been printed among other things.”
Zapu’s Alternate Secretary General, Dr Strike Mnkandla said his party is facing serious challenges in mobilising resources. He said, people have mobilised the little resources they could and they have done their best to prepare for elections.
“People have done a good job,” said Dr Mnkandla, “We do not have resources and this makes it harder for us to reach to people in all the provinces. Some parties are privileged to be using State cars and Jomic vehicles are in a better position to campaign.
“With the small resources we have mobilised, the party is geared for these elections. The party is people-driven and people have done well to campaign for it.”
On the preparations for the elections, Dr Mnkandla said his party is not happy as there are “several” issues that were supposed to be corrected before elections.
“Laws like AIPPA and Posa were supposed to be scrapped as they are preventing us from successfully holding rallies.
“The other issue is that the voter’s roll is not in good shape,” claimed Mr Mnkandla.
MDC-T spokesperson, Mr Douglas Mwonzora also said his party is ready for the decisive elections on Wednesday, but claimed that the public media has not been covering them.
“MDC-T is ready for free and fair elections. However, the conditions under which these elections are going to be held are not free and fair,” claimed Mr Mwonzora, adding: “Our rallies are not well covered by the press and there have been a lot of hate speech. Whether we win or not, the conditions are not free and fair.”
While Mr Mwonzora claimed that the media coverage had not been fair, Zec has said the coverage by both private and public press had been fair.
Zec has also been on the record saying they are ready for elections and preparations are going well as they have finished printing ballot papers.
Zec chairperson, Justice Rita Makarau told the weekend press that the body was 95 percent ready in its preparations for the elections, with the remaining five percent to be done by the close of business today.
About 6, 4 million people are registered to vote on Wednesday up from 5, 2 million in the 2008 harmonised elections.
MDC spokesperson, Mr Nhlanhla Dube was unavailable for comment yesterday as his mobile phone was not reachable.
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo