It is possible to defeat Zanu PF

It is possible to defeat Zanu PF

• Mbeki confirms Annan intervention in Zim

• Zanu PF, MDC negotiate transition government

• Jonathan Moyo: Beyond Budiriro, the state of Zim politics

• INTERVIEW: Zim opposition will not succeed without values

• New Zimbabwe.com Says: Budiriro results disastrous for opposition

• Nelson Chamisa: The people have spoken

• Tsvangirai's MDC faction wins Budiriro poll

• Mutambara, 3 MPs arrested in Budiriro

• INTERVIEW: Mutambara says no change without democratic opposition

• INTERVIEW: Kagoro on MDC cannibalism

• Mutambara sees resolution of MDC dispute

• 'He is a rare talent, where has he been?'

• Coltart on violence of the fist, tongue and heart

• Mutambara says exiles must vote

• MDC leaders in international diplomatic offensive

• INTERVIEW: Coltart speaks on MDC split

• Tsvangirai vows to confront Mugabe

• Coltart: Tsvangirai failed to deal with violence

MDC deputy secretary general Priscilla Misihairabwi reacts to the defeat in Budiriro:

By Priscilla Misihairabwi

THE leadership of the MDC congratulates Emmanuel Chisvuure the Morgan Tsvangirai group's candidate for winning the Budiriro by-election.

We believe that at this particular juncture, the people of Budiriro have spoken and have made their choice, which we fully and unconditionally accept and respect notwithstanding the reservations expressed below.

We are strongly of the view that their victory has put to rest the efficacy or wisdom of participating in the elections. Clearly it is possible to defeat Zanu PF. They are beatable even in the current uneven playing field.

We participated in this election to establish a principle and that principle is that elections remain a legitimate terrain of the struggle to defeat Zanu PF dictatorship.

The black spots to this election remain the laws that are used to disadvantage the opposition as evidenced by the arrest of our political leadership the day before the election, the campaign team and the candidate. Secondly the Budiriro by-election was the first urban election with the highest incidence of violence perpetrated, regrettably by the erstwhile colleagues in the Tsvangirai group.

In 2000, 21053 votes were cast for the MDC, in 2002, 20749 and March 2005, 17053 producing a cummulative decline of 4000 votes. Such a huge reduction is an indictment to the MDC and is cause for serious introspection by all democratic forces.

We cannot resist making the observation that only 48 hours before voting the Tsvangirai group was claiming an attendance of 20 000 at their rally in Budiriro and yet could only master a total of 7949 votes. If proof was required, this is it, that the numbers claimed to be attending the Tsvangirai rallies are patently false.

This result in Budiriro does not in anyway reflect the national strengths of the different political parties that participated. We remain firmly of the view that the people of Zimbabwe as a whole across all provinces are yet to speak and will do so at the next general election. We hope that by then they would have been created conditions for a palpably free and fair election.

We want to thank all the voters who came out to vote in these elections for their commitment to the ideals of the liberation struggle, of one-person one vote, freedom and liberty.

They have demonstrated that those who sacrificed their lives for the right to vote, did not perish in vain.

We will continue to offer ourselves to the electorate based on our values and principles of tolerance, democracy, transparency, non-violence, freedom, liberty and respect for the dignity of every individual, equality of all persons without regard to ethnicity, sex or religious affiliation

Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga is the deputy secretary general of the MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara
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