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Resolutions of the MDC National Council of Wednesday, 04 April 2013
Movement
for Democratic Change
April
04, 2013
On Wednesday,
the 3rd of April 2013, the National Council of the MDC which is
the highest decision-making body between congresses met in Harare
to discuss various issues affecting the party and the country.
The National
Council thanked the people of Zimbabwe for turning out in their
numbers to vote
overwhelmingly for the draft constitution during the Referendum
held on the 16th of March 2013.
In particular,
the National Council expressed its appreciation to the President
Dr. Morgan Tsvangirai for having campaigned vigorously and effectively
for the adoption of the constitution. Importantly, the National
Council noted the relatively peaceful environment under which the
referendum was held and hoped that the forthcoming elections will
be equally peaceful.
The National
Council also set to receive and consider the list of all the candidates
short listed to contest in the party's primary elections and confirmations.
This list was approved by the National Council.
The party resolved
that the primary elections and confirmations shall commence on the
20th of April 2013. The party resolved that all aspiring candidates
irrespective of their positions within the party structures will
go through the democratic processes of confirmation and primary
elections as there will be no sacred cows in the party
It was reiterated
that the party was committed to the holding of free and fair elections
this year preferably before the 26th of August this year.
However, the
key reforms in terms of the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) to which the parties committed themselves
in writing before SADC must be implemented first before the country
can go to elections.
These include
the total eradication of all forms of state sponsored violence and
impunity, allowing access by all contesting parties to the media
especially public media.
The party also
noted that when Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) recruited voter
educators and polling officers for the referendum it did not act
in an inclusive manner. Most of these officials belonged to Zanu
PF. The party therefore demands that election officials must be
appointed in an inclusive manner.
Further, the
national accreditation committee of ZEC must also be inclusive as
it must have members from all interested political parties. The
party therefore totally rejects the use of the same election officers
for the forthcoming elections.
The party noted
that there is a program in the registrar general's office to systematically
exclude MDC supporters from registering as voters especially in
the rural areas.
This program
includes mass registration of Zanu PF supporters with very minimum
requirements while making additional and almost impossible requirements
for MDC supporters including a requirement that the MDC supporters
must furnish the registrar’s office with the phone numbers
of the kraal heads who would have recommended their registration.
The council found this behaviour in the registrar’s office
totally unacceptable.
Regarding the
setting of the election date the National Council reiterated that
this must be as a result of thorough consultations between the President
and the Prime Minister in terms of the Global Political Agreement.
The Councils
remain disturbed by the wanton harassment of civil society organizations
leaders, human rights defenders and MDC officials by law enforcement
agents. We also condemn the harassment of judicial officers, which
is now happening in Zimbabwe.
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