Mugabe poll poses dilemma for MDC

ZIMBABWE’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is yet to decide whether to boycott or take part in next year’s parliamentary elections, according to a senior aide of MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai.

William Bango, special adviser to, and spokesperson for, Tsvangirai, suggested that elections would not be possible while the current political and social situation continued in the troubled southern African nation, “where democratic space has completely shrunk”. “This is the dilemma facing us…whether we should boycott and let them take everything or, if we participate under the present circumstances and the elections are rigged, what will be our claims,” Bango told Namibian journalists in Windhoek yesterday.”The Zanu-PF (President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party) would very much like to have elections under the present situation where they can manipulate everything because state institutions are basically dead.”Last month Mugabe was quoted as saying that a parliamentary election would be held next March.Bango stated that the MDC would decide whether to participate in that poll only after debate within the party.”We will not take a unilateral decision, that is why we took the matter to all the party structures.We are mobilising a broad-based mass action,” he added.Bango accused the ruling Zanu-PF of stalling all initiatives towards dialogue that might have broken the country’s political impasse.”There has been nothing happening (as far as dialogue was concerned) since June or July last year, contrary to claims by (South African President Thabo) Mbeki that Zimbabweans are talking,” he declared.Earlier this year, Mbeki announced that Zimbabwe’s two main political parties had agreed to renew formal dialogue soon to resolve the country’s socio-economic and political crisis.Bango, who is currently in Namibia to exchange views with the Congress of Democrats, believes that this country can only play an important role in pursuing a solution to his country’s problems “once the government here realises that the crisis in Zimbabwe is to do with governance, but has nothing to with America or Britain”.”This is the dilemma facing us…whether we should boycott and let them take everything or, if we participate under the present circumstances and the elections are rigged, what will be our claims,” Bango told Namibian journalists in Windhoek yesterday.”The Zanu-PF (President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party) would very much like to have elections under the present situation where they can manipulate everything because state institutions are basically dead.”Last month Mugabe was quoted as saying that a parliamentary election would be held next March.Bango stated that the MDC would decide whether to participate in that poll only after debate within the party.”We will not take a unilateral decision, that is why we took the matter to all the party structures.We are mobilising a broad-based mass action,” he added.Bango accused the ruling Zanu-PF of stalling all initiatives towards dialogue that might have broken the country’s political impasse.”There has been nothing happening (as far as dialogue was concerned) since June or July last year, contrary to claims by (South African President Thabo) Mbeki that Zimbabweans are talking,” he declared.Earlier this year, Mbeki announced that Zimbabwe’s two main political parties had agreed to renew formal dialogue soon to resolve the country’s socio-economic and political crisis.Bango, who is currently in Namibia to exchange views with the Congress of Democrats, believes that this country can only play an important role in pursuing a solution to his country’s problems “once the government here realises that the crisis in Zimbabwe is to do with governance, but has nothing to with America or Britain”.