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Zim
opposition threaten to boycott poll
Mail & Guardian (SA)
January 03, 2008
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=328866&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/
The main faction of Zimbabwe's
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) on Thursday vowed
to boycott presidential and legislative polls in March if the nation's
Constitution was not overhauled.
"It's not only Morgan
Tsvangirai or the MDC who are saying they will boycott the elections
if certain conditions are not met," William Bango, spokesperson
for Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC main faction, said.
"It's the people
of Zimbabwe who are saying they have no confidence in the current
conditions and will not partake in an activity whose result will
not reflect a correct record of their voice," he said.
He accused veteran President
Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party of reneging on an agreement
in ongoing talks with the opposition party to amend the Constitution
to ensure what he called "disputeless elections".
"We agreed on a
set of benchmarks regarding the elections, including the setting
up of public institutions to inspire confidence in the electoral
system.
"As far as we are
concerned, nothing has changed since the last elections, which were
flawed, and it is not possible to set up the institutions, recruit
staff and have elections in 100 days."
Among other demands,
the opposition wants a new electoral commission that would conduct
the March joint presidential and parliamentary polls.
Mugabe has said that
elections will be held in March and that the opposition would only
have themselves to blame if they do not adequately campaign.
Once a formidable force
that posed the stiffest challenge to Mugabe's stranglehold on power,
the MDC was torn apart by factionalism following a row over senate
elections in 2005.
The Arthur Mutambare
faction of the MDC is yet to decide whether or not it would participate
in the elections.
Mugabe (83), who has
been in power since the nation gained independence in 1980, is seeking
a sixth term of office. -- Sapa-AFP
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