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Harare Bureau
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s “State of the Nation Address” yesterday has been described as an attention-seeking gimmick. The opposition leader, who was drubbed in last year’s elections, took to a city hotel to regurgitate claims that the elections had been stolen and claimed Zimbabwe needed fresh elections underpinned by political and institutional reforms.
He painted a gloomy picture of the economy which he said would force Zanu-PF to negotiate with his party to “rescue” Zimbabwe.
“In light of the problems facing the nation, we hereby propose the following eight steps to legitimacy, beginning with political dialogue that must discuss and agree on political, economic and social reforms that will ensure a free and fair election that should usher in a legitimate government that will then deal with the crisis we face,” he said.
“Faced with a similar crisis in 2008, we engaged in dialogue and we carved out a home-grown solution to the problems then bedevilling our country. There is no substitute for dialogue. As MDC, we believe that meeting of stakeholders from different backgrounds would be a positive start,” he added.
Government, however, scoffed at Tsvangirai’s lobby for elections.
“It is a whacky idea which is so out of reality that it can only come from someone who is either disturbed or very troubled and needs help; or someone who is having serious problems either in their personal life or their party and thinks everyone is so stupid that they will be willing victims in the attempt to divert attention by creating irrational or fictitious claims,” Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Professor Jonathan Moyo said.
“It is no different from someone saying Jesus should come today,’’ he added.
He clarified that Zimbabwe is a constitutional democracy whose elections are held after five years and held harmoniously due to the huge costs.
“Elections are held when they are constitutionally due. Problems in personal lives or parties are not grounds for holding elections,” he said.
He dismissed Tsvangirai’s alarmist economic prognosis which the MDC-T leader believes will be basis for dialogue that would see him return to Government.
“The party that is elected is expected to attend to issues such as the economy. That is not done in six months that is why the term is five years not one month or five months or six months,” said Prof Moyo.
The much-hyped state of the nation address failed to live up to its billing with analysts dismissing it as more of a ‘state of MDC-T politics address’’.
None of the western ambassadors, for whose benefit the MDC-T leader appeared to have made the stunt, asked a question after he finished his address.
Party officials, some western diplomats and scores of MDC-T activists attended the function.
Online Reporter