The Zimbabwe Guardian (London)
Samantha Chidzero
9 May 2008
THE opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party said on Thursday that it is still not planning to participate in a presidential run-off election against President Robert Mugabe.
"Our official position still remains the same that we are not participating," MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti told reporters at a news conference in South Africa.
Biti also added that the MDC would hold important talks with civic society groups from Zimbabwe on Saturday and hold a news conference "to put this issue to rest".
The party's leader Morgan Tsvangirai Monday reportedly said he won't commit to any runoff until the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission sets the date for such election.
Earlier he had said the reason why the MDC won't participate is that he had achieved outright victory against President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai claimed he had the required 50 per cent plus one vote to avoid a run-off.
He said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's figures did not reflect the true picture.
The ZEC accussed the MDC of 'playing games' --saying they did not provide the figures required to compare results when they were invited to do so by the electoral body.
This statement by ZEC was echoed in Pretoria by ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo, head of the SA observer mission tasked by President Mbeki to investigate the electoral process in Zimbabwe.
Mamabolo said the MDC failed to supply its collations of results in Harare wards had prompted the ZEC to release its own tallies as the final result.
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