Tsvangirai on the ropes as members defy boycott call

Tsvangirai on the ropes as members defy boycott call

THE SENATE

8 Chiefs + 2 governors for Bulawayo and Harare

5 Appointed by President

50 Elected from country's 10 provinces, 5 from each province

TOTAL SEATS: 65

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• Paul T Nyathi: Tribal slurs easy to make, but extremely dangerous

• Brilliant Mhlanga: MDC no longer an alternative

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• Nyathi hits back at Tsvangirai bribery claims

• Bekithemba Mhlanga: Tsvangirai fell for Zanu PF bait

• Alex Magaisa: Handling a fledging democracy

• Elliot Pfebve: Tsvangirai and Mugabe, larvae and butterfly scenario

• MDC moves to impeach Tsvangirai

• Gibson Sibanda: Tsvangirai in breach of constitution

• Tsvangirai accuses officials of vote-buying

• Itai Zimunya: MDC split good for Zimbabwe

• Tsvangirai bid to heal rifts

• Chenjerai Hove: The MDC and a very Zimbabwean disease

• Tsvangirai must 'come to terms' - Nyathi

• Msekiwa Makwanya: Tsvangirai, lessons in democratic process

• Heads must roll

• MDC splits widen after senate vote

• Tsvangirai: We are out

• Nyathi: We are in

• MDC to boycott senate - Tsvangirai

• Melusi Nyathi: MDC must reconnect with people

• Mugabe sets November 26 Senate poll date

• Tsvangirai plays down rift with Ncube

• Oscar Nkala: MDC should snub senate

• Mugabe calls senate poll for November, MDC undecided

• Msekiwa Makwanya: the MDC, the senate and boycott politics

• Morgan Tsvangirai: The senate, what's in it for the people?

• Grace Kwinjeh: No to senate elections!

• Kwinjeh attacks MDC senate poll participation

• MDC to contest for senate seats

• Prof Jonathan Moyo: New amendments should face battle royal

• New constitutional moves 'will not fly'

• Chinamasa slammed over 'exit visa' threat

• Innocent C Sithole: The MDC and culture of prevarication

• MDC wants to give senate a miss

• Prof Welshman Ncube: Constitutional reforms recipe for disaster

• Zim denies plot to curtail critics' travel

• Dr Alex Magaisa: Constitution without Constitutionalism

• Lucas Nkomo: The right to revolt against tyranny

• Tawanda Hove: Constitutional reforms and MDC mess

• US says Zim moves 'a sad step backwards'

• Rights groups condemn constitutional moves

• Paul Themba Nyathi: Dark day for democracy

• Parliament passes amendment bill

• Prof Jonathan Moyo: Constitutional madness will not save Zanu PF

• Lawyers condemn constitutional amendment

• Aspiring Zanu PF senator dies of poisoning

• Alex Magaisa: Constitutional amendment spells doom for economy

• Zimbabwe senate will last only 5 years

By Staff Reporters

ZIMBABWE'S ruling Zanu PF party won 23 seats to the country's Senate unopposed Monday after the opposition Movement for Democratic Changes (MDC) fielded only 27 candidates for the November 26 poll.

The MDC candidates defied their leader's call to boycott the polls. The Senate has 50 contested seats.

Negotiations failed to heal the rift between the factions, and defiant MDC candidates registered in the party strongholds of Matabeleland North (5), Matabeleland South (5), Bulawayo (5), Masvingo (2), Harare Central (3), Mashonaland West (4) and Midlands (3).

Senior MDC officials close to the pro-Senate camp were toasting the outcome as a victory after MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai staked his credibility on a call for a boycott of the elections in defiance of a national council vote of 33:31 in favour of participation. Tsvangirai received little support, fuelling speculation of a growing rift in the opposition.

"Whichever way you look at this, the MDC constitution, which is what we have been seeking to protect, has prevailed. It is really a miracle that in the face of all the intimidation and threats from Tsvangirai's henchmen, 27 courageous candidates will stand for the party," said the official.

MDC national spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi said some 27 party members registered as candidates.

"Those who have registered to contest are in compliance with the national council resolution to contest the polls," Nyathi told AFP.

Tsvangirai's spokesman William Bango had earlier claimed the pro-election faction was struggling to find volunteers to contest the senate polls, and predicted they would be forced to settle for some lower level candidates.

"The big guns, including some of those advocating that the party must participate in these elections, have quietly pulled out of the race because they realise their position does not enjoy popular support," he said.

The senate is the newly created 66-member upper house of parliament, comprising 10 traditional chiefs, 50 elected senators and six appointed by President Robert Mugabe.

Analysts say the row will test Tsvangirai's power among his ranks and -- whether the MDC survives it or not -- considerably weaken Mugabe's only political opponents.

"What is needed at this point in time is for both parties to come together and get talking. At first this appeared like it was an ethnic misunderstanding, but the fact that there are some provinces outside Matabeleland that took part shows it is a clearly national issue," said Madhuku, chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly, a local NGO.

The MDC national council split almost in middle nearly two weeks ago over whether to participate in the polls for the senate, a new upper house of parliament.

Tsvangirai says he is using his authority as party leader to keep the MDC out of the senate elections as his party has nothing to gain from participating, but other MDC leaders fear a boycott will further edge the party out of national politics.

Nyathi accuses Tsvangirai of being dictatorial since the party's decision-making national council had voted in favour of participation by a narrow two-vote margin and that its decision was binding.

MDC vice-president Gibson Sibanda denied speculation that the six-year-old party was on the verge of splitting.

"We are still seeking a solution, there is no question (of splitting), we never said we were going to split and there are no signs of a split, its simply that there is some differences in issues and the approach to those issues," Sibanda told journalists.

In Bulawayo, the following had their papers accepted: Thabiso Ndlovu (Magwegwe-Lobengula), Sibangilizwe Msipa (Bulawayo-Makokoba), Rita Ndlovu (Bulawayo-Nkulumane), Fanuel Bayeye (Pumula-Luveve) and Greenfield Nyoni (Mpopoma-Pelandaba).

In Matabeleland North the following will stand for the MDC: Jacob Thabane (Bubi-Umguza), Jabulani Ndlovu (Hwange East), Hebert Sina Mpande (Binga), Dalumuzi Khumalo (Lupane-Nkayi) and chief executive of the banned Daily News newspaper, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo (Tsholotsho).

In Matabeleland South, the following will stand for the MDC: Alfred Moyo (Beitbridge), Reabius Tlou (Gwanda), Albert Mnkandla (Insiza), David Moyo (Matopo-Umzingwane), Lutho Tapela (Bulilimamangwe)

In Mashonaland West, the following filed papers for the MDC: Albert Ndlovu (Chegutu-Mhondoro-Manyame), Boniface Musevenzo (Kadoma-Sanyathi-Ngezi), the names of two other candidates unavailable while Furamera Masimba was disqualified.

In Masvingo, the MDC fielded Hilda Sibanda, Crispa Musoni (Gutu North) while name of third candidate had not yet been received.

In Harare, the MDC fielded Shakespeare Maya (Chitungwiza), Frank Chamunorwa (Harare-Mabvuku-Tafara), Alois Mudzingwa (Harare-Mbare-Hatfield)

Midlands: names of candidates not yet received, but the MDC is believed to have fielded three.
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