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Hot Seat programme: Tsvangirai says vote buying and self interest swung MDC senate vote
Violet Gonda, SW Radio Africa
October 18, 2005

You can listen to the full audio interview (20minutes) on the programme Hot Seat on:
http://www.swradioafrica.com/pages/archives.php (Tuesday 18 October)

MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai has alleged that the outcome of the party’s decision over the Senate polls had already been pre-determined before the National Council met. In an exclusive Interview on the programme Hot Seat, Tsvangirai said some of the people who voted last Wednesday have now admitted that they were paid to vote for the ‘participation vote’ while others were driven by self interest.

Tsvangirai, who said he had not wanted to go for the vote, claimed he was press ganged into a meeting, after the 50-50 split, by the other 5 colleagues (in Top 6) where there was a pre-determined outcome. He said, "They had already prepared the votes, the ballots and they had bought a lot of people in the council."

According to the opposition leader some council members expressed their personal opinion when they voted on the issue of the controversial upper house. They were not representing the opinion of their provinces. He says that this has now resulted in some provinces issuing petitions disowning the decisions made by their representatives in the National Council. Midlands North and South, Mashonaland East and Matebeleland South provinces are said to have now endorsed their support for non-participation.

The leader, whose party faces the worst political crisis since it was formed 6 years ago, declined to elaborate on the people behind the vote buying but said some of the MDC, like party spokesman Paul Temba Nyathi and Executive Member Renson Gasela, have a personal interest in participating in the Senate. Tsvangirai said: "I had advised people that it is a dangerous precedent to take a vote in the council and the outcome has proven me right… those who are propagating to go to the senate are selfish people who are only looking at their own self and are now introducing an ethnic agenda, which has never been part of the MDC philosophy at all."

Asked about MDC Members of Parliament who are also supporting participation Tsvangirai said there could only be one explanation, "to undermine the MDC and to promote the ZANU PF agenda."

He said the logical thing is to stay out of senate and re-group as the fact that there is no agreement over this explosive issue should deter people from fighting an opponent like ZANU PF, while the party is divided.

Tsvangirai claims people refused to take this advice because they had been manipulated and some given money. "And you ask yourself where is the money coming from? The party does not have money but people are finding money to dish out to individuals. I am really concerned that this is not a division of principle. This is a division of opportunism and selfish interest."

Tsvangirai denied any personal rift between himself and Secretary General Welshman Ncube. He said Professor Ncube has his own opinions but the party has a leader and hoped their individual opinions did not conflict with the fact that they have different roles.

On the issue of dealing with dissenters the leader said he met with Vice President Gibson Sibanda and hoped to meet the other leaders to talk about what was happening. But reiterated that the party will not be participating. "There may be individuals who may want to take up their own individual position as independents. I have written to the electoral commission. Anyone who wants to manipulate that position with the connivance of ZANU PF can go ahead, but they have one consequence."

Critics had charged that if the MDC boycotts the senate then they should boycott parliament. Tsvangirai said the MDC would continue having MPs in parliament, even though they have always said the electoral system is fraudulent. He said as the debate continues the party may review their parliamentary participation.

He maintains that he represents the best interests of the majority and that his leadership is in the best interest of the party and according to the mandate given to him by the Congress. He said the opposition party was in the process of consulting with party structures, starting from the ward level, on the issue of convening an extraordinary congress.

The opposition leader said the struggle has been long and that he understood the frustrations of some of the people. He said the problems within the MDC had not degenerated into any inertia but that this is a party that has withstood a very viscous environment for the last 6 years. "Political parties go through turbulences like this. But that does not mean the plane is crashing."

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