Senate reactions

Tich Sibanda
24 October, 2005

The Birmingham MDC Branch in the UK have said they stand by President Morgan Tsvangirai’s decision not to participate in the Senate Elections.

A statement issued by the branch said the Senate Elections are a carrot, which President Mugabe has dangled and which some of the people are trampling over each other to get at.

‘If it turns out that some members of the MDC have registered themselves as candidates, it is unfortunate and the National Council should find a way of regularising this since the confusion arose out of disagreement in the National Council,’ read the statement.

It added that the National Council should, sooner rather than later, rescind its decision to avoid confusion. The Birmingham branch said the position taken by Morgan Tsvangirai is a principled one.

‘The principle is that we have a nation whose people cannot afford basics like medicine in the hospitals, so how can they afford to sponsor another 60 individual’s monthly allowances, vehicles, assistants, houses, and those other ever-present perks, in the name of a Senate that does not add anything to our democracy.’