The MDC has been vindicated by the very low turnout in the 16 by-elections where Zimbabweans heeded the party’s call to snub the sham polls until the implementation of far-reaching electoral reforms.
The by-elections have largely vindicated our position as even these polls were fraught with the massive irregularities we have highlighted such as vote-buying, abuse of traditional leaders and disenfranchisements as some voters found their names not on the voters roll.The low voter turnout and the paltry votes for the so-called winners tell their own sad story. This is a pyrrhic victory for the Zanu PF regime. It is, indeed, a hollow and meaningless ‘’victory.’’
The average vote of about 2 500 for the “winners” in a constituency with 40 000 registered voters confirm that this is a victory of the minority. The majority who stayed away actually won these by-elections while the losers who participated in paltry numbers will be announced the winners.
It is a landslide of the majority.
Even in Tsholotsho where two Vice Presidents competed to buy votes by dishing out money and rice, the 11 000 votes recorded, are still a far much cry from the over 40 000 registered voters in this sparsely populated constituency .
From Luveve in Bulawayo to Dzivarasekwa in Harare, the story is the same; Zimbabweans stayed away from these sham polls. Zimbabweans heeded the call by the MDC and President Morgan Tsvangirai not to participate in these polls until far-reaching reforms were implemented to ensure a credible outcome. No amount of political grandstanding by the faction – ridden and disintegrating Zanu PF regime can sanitise the electoral farce that took place on June 10, 2015.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission must take this as a warning that unless and until they run a credible poll, Zimbabweans will continue staying at home. Until and unless reforms are implemented, our elections will not be credible and will continue to breed contested outcomes.
ZEC should up its game and ensure truly credible polls. The recent Afrobarometer survey conducted showed that more than half of the country’s population has no confidence in ZEC specifically for the reasons proffered by the MDC.
To SADC, the message coming from these polls is that the crisis of legitimacy is at the core of the country’s crisis. When you have the minority claiming victory against a background of such a shameful turnout and such paltry figures by the so-called winners, it confirms that something is very wrong in the country.
In short, the results of these by-elections are a disgrace. SADC and the rest of Africa cannot just watch when we are running charades disguised as elections.
We in the MDC remain steadfast on our position that we and the majority of the people of Zimbabwe will only participate in elections predicated on reforms so that we have a free, fair and credible outcome.
9 Replies to “Low Voter Turnout and Paltry Figures Vindicate MDC”
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Yes MDC should have implemented the reforms, who else did you expect to do so?
THE LIST OF VOTERS ARE WITH ZIMBABWE ELECTION COMMISSION…ASK THE THEM…..ARE THE ONES WHO ANNOUNCED THE FIGURES…….YOU OPPOSITION CADRES YOU JUST OPPOSE EVERYTHING…IS CLOSER TO YOU TO OPPOSE SOMEONE GOING TO THE TOILET…….
Mr Gutu you are today a Winner…as your Party MDC-T emerged winners of the Bi-Elections…..in my opinion you will bark in the wilderness until your Party MDC-T get flatly buried to the end by ZANU-PF….when is your Party MDC-T coming to the fold to participate with other opposition Parties in Zimbabwe elections?….your reforms you are clamouring for you will get them in EUROPE and the United States Of America…..not in Zimbabwe……….
MDC implementing reforms???? Shamwari taura zvawamwa handiti
If you have already identified how Zanu PF rigs elections then why did you boycott the by-elections?
Yes there was voter apathy but it is presumptious, to say the least, that people did not bother to vote in response to MDC’s call to boycott the elections. The problem of voter apathy is something Zimbabwe has seen before, MDC had nothing to do with it then and it is almost certain that MDC’s incompetence his triggered it now!
If you are going to believe Afrobarometer finding on ZEC then you should know they also said President Mgabe has more than 60% popularity rating with the electorate!
It was MDC who should have implemented the reforms to end Zanu PF’s use of ZEC and other state institutions to rig elections. Instead of MDC taking ownership of this serious short coming they now want to blame ZEC for rigged elections. How pathetic!
We always tell the people that there are o such high figures as 25000 in the rural areas.If there are such figures, then it shows they no longer like ZANU.At present no one , absolutely no one can deny that Tsvangirai is the man.He told people to boycott and the results are there for everyone to see.There is no amount of explanation that will satisfactorily explain the low voter turnout besides the opposition’s boycott message.Renewal team said it has support, but Sipepa is crying today.If you have support, just organise yourselves from grassroots to provincial level and win elections.Simple and straightforward.Come 2018, ZANU PF is going to postpone elections.The rigging style has been identified and the loopholes resulting in 40000 voters in rural constituencies tight closed.No amount of anything will stop the emergence of a new DEMOCRATIC Zimbabwe.Those who are pessimistic will break their jaws yawning with surprises.People must not be demotivated .
MDC T salutes the grassroots support in Zaka, Dotito, Lupane, Bikita, Nyanga, Karoi, Mwenezi ,Chiredzi, Honde Valley,Sadza , Renco Mine and all other places .Villagers have been targeted by headmen but they never dropped their support.It is those rural cadres who have no police protection, but still support the movement.Bravo to all cadres.When 2018 comes,massive rural development programmes are going to be launched, from agriculture to forestry.Urban areas are going to shine again.And everyone will again say “good morning to the milkman as he delivers the milk at the door”.Those are the aspirations of a new Zimbabwe, which will offer equal opportunities to all hard working sons and daughters, not a situation where one man convert a national air carrier to a taxi.
Good question. Where did so many new voters come from?
Zimeye tipowo ma figures..zvainzi kune 400 000 voters registered for these elections. How many voted?