BRIGHT Matonga . . . ZEC has constitutional mandate to run elections in the country

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s government on Monday said it would not bow to any pre-conditions by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai for him to participate in a run-off election against President Robert Mugabe.

Hawkish deputy information minister Bright Matonga told ZimOnline that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was empowered under the country’s Constitution to conduct elections without taking “orders or giving in to senseless conditions” from Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.

Matonga said: "ZEC has constitutional mandate to run elections in the country without taking orders or giving in to senseless conditions. The run-off will take place on ZEC conditions, not from Tsvangirai who is staring a heavy defeat to President Mugabe.”

Zimbabwe must hold fresh presidential elections after the ZEC said Tsvangirai won a first round vote on March 29 but failed to win an outright majority required to takeover the presidency from Mugabe.

The MDC – which has rejected official results released by ZEC and insists Tsvangirai was cheated out of outright victory – has not said whether he would contest the second round run-off election against Mugabe.

The opposition party has instead listed four key conditions for Tsvangirai to take part in the run-off poll – including that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) must verify the results of the first round presidential election announced by the ZEC.

According to ZEC Tsvangirai polled 1 195 562 votes or 47.9 percent of total valid votes cast to defeat Mugabe who polled 1 079 730 ballots or 43.2 percent of total votes cast in the first round election. Two independent candidates shared the remainder of valid votes cast.

“During the weekend meeting of the national executive (of MDC) it was agreed that SADC verify the results,” said an MDC official, who did not want to be named because he did not have permission from the party to speak to the Press.

“The meeting also resolved that Tsvangirai can only contest in the run-off if the government forthwith stops politically motivated violence by state security agents, ruling ZANU PF party militia and war veterans against opposition supporters,” the official added.

The MDC, Western governments and human rights groups have accused Mugabe of unleashing state security forces and ZANU PF militias against voters in a bid to scare them to back him in the second round ballot.

The opposition party says at least 20 of its supporters have been murdered while another 5 000 have been displaced in the violence.

Other conditions the MDC wants met before Tsvangirai can agree to contest the second presidential election are that there should be strong international observation of the poll and that the ZEC should undertake to release results with 48 hours to limit chances of rigging.

But Zimbabwe’s opposition party, which also defeated Mugabe’s ZANU PF party in parliamentary election also held on March 29, is caught between a rock and hard place because boycotting the run-off would be to merely hand over victory to Mugabe on silver platter.