Reply #7: MDC might boycott Zim elections in wake of 'rigging' [View All]

March 31, 2004

By Basildon Peta

Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, is considering a boycott of all future elections after losing what it considered a safe seat in a weekend by-election in Harare.

The MDC's national executive committee - the supreme decision-making body - meets this weekend to review its defeat in the Zengeza parliamentary by-election in the Harare township of Chitungwiza.

The ruling Zanu-PF party's candidate, Christopher Chigumba, won with 8 447 votes, compared to 6 706 for the MDC's James Makore, a majority of 1 741. The results showed a massive turnaround from the general election in June 2000 when the MDC won with 14 814 votes to Zanu PF's 5 330 - a majority of 9 484. It also won all the other constituencies in Harare.

Although the MDC had already been toying with the idea of boycot-ting the next parliamentary elections in March next year, it said the open rigging of the Zengeza by-election had added impetus to the need to make a final decision.

http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=129&fArticleId=389049