MDC election campaign to target young voters

By Tichaona Sibanda
18 October 2011

The MDC-T will run a massive campaign to encourage young voters to register for the next crucial elections, now expected in the last quarter of 2012.

Promise Mkwananzi, the firebrand secretary-general of the Youth Assembly, told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that they’ve put in place a versatile and robust voter registration campaign targeting three million new voters.

‘If you look at world events, starting with the election of Barack Obama, young voters have been on the forefront for change. Only recently in Zambia young voters played a role and got the change they wanted, so I don’t see why that cannot work in Zimbabwe,’ Mkwananzi said.

The MDC-T believes a large turnout of young voters, many of whom are unemployed, is likely to play a significant role in dislodging Robert Mugabe from power.

Though admitting that victory will not come cheap, Mkwananzi said their party had endeared itself to young voters and to voters disillusioned by the consistent failure of ZANU PF to provide jobs and deliver better living standards.

‘We know ZANU PF is all about violence but the MDC will have in its possession a much deadlier arsenal in three million young voters. ZANU will go into the next election guns blazing, but young voters could still cause a major upset.

‘We want young people to be on the forefront for this drive for change. It is incumbent upon them to drive the process of change, they should author their own destiny by putting a government in place that will be able to deliver on issues and interests of young people,’ the secretary-general said.

He said the MDC-T had failed sometimes in the past to transform some of its support base into votes. He said fear could have played a major part in people failing to register. But they have set in motion a robust campaign to ensure every MDC supporters registers to vote.

‘This is a watershed election whereby the party itself is putting in place mechanisms to protect the vote of the people. This will not be an ordinary vote; this will not be a meaningless vote.

‘It is a vote that will change the course of history in the Zimbabwe politics for ever,’ Mkwananzi added.

Party leader Morgan Tsvangirai is set to lock horns again with Mugabe in the next election, which analysts say is now likely to be held in the last quarter of 2012.

The MDC-T leader on Sunday urged the 87 year-old Mugabe to step down from active politics, warning him he faces a poll drubbing should he stand as a ZANU PF candidate. Speaking at a party rally in Marondera on Sunday, Tsvangirai said Mugabe risked further denting his legacy if he contested the next presidential poll. ZANU PF has already announced that Mugabe will be their presidential candidate for the forthcoming elections.

Tsvangirai also reiterated what analysts believe is the only possible time scale for elections, when he told journalists that an election would likely not be held until the second half 2012.