MDC not participating in forthcoming council elections

By Violet Gonda
08 January 2006

The newly elected MDC Provincial Chairman for Manicaland Province, Roy Bennett, has said the opposition party will not be participating in any elections. The news comes as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is embarking on voter education for the forthcoming council elections scheduled for January 14.

Bennett said, “As far as I know the sentiment among the people is that there are no more elections. There is no time to play games with a dictatorial, oppressive, human rights abusive government. What are we doing talking to them? Negotiating with them?”

He said this year is a time for action adding, “It’s a time for the MDC to consolidate and show its power and strength by people power and show Mugabe and ZANU PF that their days are numbered. It’s over.”

The outspoken MDC official and commercial farmer was recently elected Provincial Chairman for Manicaland  a t a  regional congress attended by over 850 delegates . He becomes the first white person to hold such a position since the formation  o f the MDC in 1999.

Bennett said there is only one camp in the MDC and that is the camp that the people represent. The MDC is heading for congress in February that, according to the official, will see people being more focused and see the leadership not being able to get away with any form of opportunism.

It’s reported that the other camp led by Professor Welshman Ncube said the only way of removing the regime is through the ballot box, but Bennett said the MDC will only go back into elections when the process is free and fair. He added, “ the minute the people elect people into power, like they did with the mayors and the councillors, these people are immediately victimised by ZANU PF or fired.”

The full interview with the outspoken former MP will be aired on the programme Hot Seat on Tuesday 10 th January, where Roy Bennett will speak in detail about who owns the MDC and the fight over government funds, among other issues.