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MDC threatens to boycott future by-elections

    JOHANNESBURG

    The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has threatened to boycott future by-elections because of violence and intimidation, news reports said on Wednesday. "Given the murder of our organising secretary in Chikomba and the continued beating and harassment of our supporters, most members are of the view that we should stop taking part in these elections if there is violence and intimidation," MDC spokesman Learnmore Jongwe was quoted as saying in a BBC report.

    The ruling ZANU-PF party on Monday retained their majority in Chikomba. The by-election was held following the death of Chenjerai "Hitler" Hunzvi, former war veterans leader and the man behind the invasion of white-owned farms.

    Jongwe said: "No decision has been made yet, but a majority of our members want to look into it ... The feeling is that we have been giving legitimacy to these elections which are being stolen by ZANU-PF." In a report last week, a coalition of Zimbabwean human rights groups alleged that one opposition supporter, a school headmaster, was murdered and several others tortured in the run-up to the poll.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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