Tsvangirai: I Will Continue Fighting for Democracy in Zimbabwe
Tsvangirai says he will engage the Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the United Nations over election rigging allegations leveled against Zanu PF
HARARE — Former prime minister and Movement for Democratic Change founding president Morgan Tsvangirai says he will continue to fight for democracy in Zimbabwe despite his party’s electoral defeat to Zanu-PF in the July 31 polls which he has described as a “resounding theft”. Presenting his end of year statement at a news conference held at his party’s Harvest House headquarters, Mr. Tsvangirai said he is geared to ensuring that democracy prevails in Zimbabwe one day. He told reporters that he will engage the Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the United Nations over election rigging allegations that he has leveled against President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party. He said the diplomatic offensive will not be a futile exercise saying this would help expose what he says is Mr. Mugabe’s illegitimacy. While some poll petitions filed by his party in the electoral courts are yet to be finalized, Tsvangirai said he has evidence that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has destroyed the voting material that was used in the July 31 polls which his party may want to use in the hearing of its petitions. To address the question of legitimacy, the former prime minister called for fresh elections that would be held after key democratic reforms have been instituted. The MDC founding president also took a swipe at the 2014 national budget presented in parliament on Thursday by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa. While Chinamasa is projecting a 6.1 percent growth of the economy in 2014, Tsvangirai said there was nothing in the budget that would help revitalize the country’s economy and improve the livelihood of the country’s citizens. He said this year Zimbabweans are facing bleak Christmas holidays because of the shrinking economy caused by uncertainty as a result of the disputed elections.