No election boycott - MDC

Zimbabwe’s main opposition party has announced that although conditions do not exist for free and fair elections, it would not consider a boycott of the upcoming parliamentary poll.

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesman Learnmore Jongwe told IRIN on Wednesday that given state-sponsored violence and intimidation, “there are absolutely no conditions for free and fair elections. But one thing we have resolved as a party is that we are not going to boycott. We owe that to our supporters and the country”.

He acknowledged that the political violence which has so far reportedly claimed 15 lives, mostly MDC supporters, “has had an impact on our campaign. However, we don’t believe it’s going to do much to swing the election.

People might not attend our rallies, but they are going to vote MDC.”

Jongwe welcomed a statement by eight Commonwealth foreign ministers in London on Tuesday condemning “political violence, loss of life, illegal occupations of property, failure to uphold the rule of law, and political intimidation.” While applauding the government’s willingness to accept poll monitors, the statement stressed the need for free and fair elections. Commonwealth head Don McKinnon is expected in Zimbabwe in the next two weeks to convey the group’s concerns to the government.

However, ZANU-PF campaign strategist Jonathan Moyo dismissed the Commonwealth statement. “It’s the British Commonwealth you are talking about and Britain has taken an unprecedented and unfortunate role in mobilising foreign opinion against Zimbabwe.”

He also rejected the reports of widespread political violence in the country as “wildly exaggerated”. They are “isolated incidents we all condemn in the strongest possible terms”, which would not affect the outcome of the election.

A political analyst at the University of Zimbabwe, who asked not to be named, told IRIN that the government’s campaign in the countryside, involving attacks on MDC supporters and the occupation of white farms, was a “military strategy to delink one million votes thought to be coming from the farm workers organised by the farmers.” He said state television images of white farmers burning MDC cards and t-shirts was evidence of a “community being held hostage”.

Jongwe acknowledged that intimidation could frighten farm workers “who are thoroughly unsophisticated. But as far as the rest of the rural population is concerned, they know that their vote is secret.” He also repudiated any suggestion the MDC would retaliate against ZANU-PF violence as counter-productive.