MDC boycotts reception

Zimbabwe’s first multiparty parliament started on a confrontational footing when the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) boycotted Wednesday’s traditional state reception for MPs in protest at what it called state-sponsored violence and intimidation of its supporters. ‘The Independent’ said the MDC’s vice-president and opposition leader in parliament, Gibson Sibanda, wrote to President Robert Mugabe on Monday, accusing him of condoning the breakdown of the rule of law and the terror campaign. “Your Excellency, you were sworn to uphold and defend the laws of Zimbabwe and yet you continue to encourage or turn a blind eye to the repeated violation of the rule of law in the country as a result of which more than 30 innocent Zimbabweans have already lost their lives,” said the letter. The newspaper said after receiving the letter, Mugabe immediately cancelled the occasion. His office, however, said the function was called off because there was no money. “The department of state occasions had proceeded with preparations for the traditional state function without checking with the President,” said George Charamba, Mugabe’s spokesman. The MDC, formed about 10 months ago, won 57 of the 120 contested parliamentary seats in last month’s parliamentary elections. Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party polled 62 and the President appoints 30 other MPs, while one seat went to Ndabaningi Sithole’s ZANU-Ndonga party.