‘MDC’ senate candidates not approved by council

By Lance Guma
24 october 2005

Legal expert and Secretary for Home Affairs in the Movement for Democratic Change, Tendai Biti, says all the candidates who filed their nomination papers for senate elections under the banner of the MDC have done so outside its constitution. All candidates for elections have to submit curriculum vitaes to the national council who have to approve the list and this has not happened. Biti said article 12 of the party’s constitution is very clear on how candidates are selected and added that his pro-senate colleagues were being selective in their comprehension of the constitution.

Party provinces were supposed submit a list of candidates for approval to the national council, the body that in turn maintains a register of all candidates. Biti accused the virtual unknowns who registered their names for the poll as working with Mugabe’s regime to destabilize the party. He quipped, ‘anyone in favour of participating in the senate has a cheque from the CIO in their underwear.’ This is in apparent reference to statements by state security minister Didymus Mutasa, that the security services had played a big part in the infighting.

The argument pushed by the participants in the senate poll that they are defending political space is highly opportunistic according to Biti. He said Zanu PF has already invaded the entire political space. Television and radio were tightly controlled by Zanu PF and newspapers fall under CIO control. He added that MDC MP’s had opposed constitutional amendment number 17 which nationalised all farm land, nullified court petitions on farm seizures, introduced a senate and created powers to confiscate passports belonging to critics. Biti said the MDC could not now change their minds and support a senate.
Asked on how the MDC will respond to those who registered, Biti said they would not even bother taking them to Zanu PF controlled courts and that the ordinary party supporters would handle the situation.