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MDC Youth Assembly national executive committee declaration
MDC Youth Assembly
November 29, 2011

After intensive debate and deliberations at the national executive meeting held in Harare, November 2011, the MDC Youth Assembly (The Assembly) emerged with the following declarations:

1.Political Arrests

Noting that it is now six months since the first group of political prisoners was arrested, yet they have never been brought to trial, the MDC Youth Assembly asserts that there is a deliberate effort to hold the prisoners in detention as long as possible before bringing them to court. This is due to a simple realization by the authorities that bringing them to trial earlier will lead to their release as no competent court will uphold such politically motivated, frivolous charges. The delays are essentially designed to deny the detainees justice, as they are effectively serving a "sentence" before the trial. The MDC Youth Assembly wishes to express grave concern and dismay at the continued detention of Solomon Madzore and others as political prisoners. The Assembly will do all that is permissible in a democratic society to express this dismay and to push for their immediate and unconditional release.

2. Violence and Intimidation

The Assembly's National Executive meeting comes on the heels of the anti-violence meeting that was addressed by the leaders of the three major political parties in Zimbabwe. The leaders spoke unambiguously against violence. Noting the grave consequences of violence to our people, to the socio-economic and political stability and to society at large, the Assembly resolved to fight the scourge of violence using non-violent means.

3. Youth Quota

Noting the continued marginalization of young people in politics, in economics and the society at large, the Assembly resolved to fight all forms of youth marginalization and their manifestations. In so doing, the Assembly resolved to fight for a parliamentary quota system within and beyond the MDC. Every political party should have parliamentary and council seats especially preserved for the youth. This trend should also apply to economics and all other sectors of our society.

4. Forthcoming Elections

On the forthcoming elections, the Assembly resolved to press ahead with massive voter registration to counter ZANU PF rigging. The Assembly insists on electoral reforms such as the dissolution of the current ZEC secretariat, the expedition of the electoral law reform, the democratization of the media and the timely adoption of the new constitution. Above all, the Assembly believes that the election date must be set and agreed upon by all the principals.

5. Jobs Creation, Investment and Economic Upliftment

The Assembly resolved to push ahead with the reform of the current so called economic empowerment and replace it with a sound, credible, sustainable and non-partisan alternative. After noting the irregularities of the indigenization and economic empowerment programme such as its glaring partisan nurture, its failure to create jobs, its propensity to chase away investors, to empower the empowered and the politically connected at the expense of the poor, The Assembly resolved to present to Zimbabweans a credible alternative that will be non-partisan and diverse enough to cater for various aspirations of our youth and giving preference to the most marginalized groups rather than the rich and the connected.

6. Conclusion

The Assembly re-affirms its determination to press ahead with the democratic agenda of delivering real change to the people of Zimbabwe. We are committed to deliver the change that Zimbabweans want and no amount of terror or intimidation will deter us.

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