Prime Minister Tsvangirai has said he is pleased with the momentum that the party has picked up in Mashonaland Central province.

He said this at the weekend at Trojan Mine in Bindura while addressing members of the Mashonaland Central provincial council.

President Tsvangirai informed the members that the voter registration campaign would begin in earnest on 3 January next year and will run for three months; therefore putting paid the Zanu PF notion that the watershed elections would be held in March 2013.

The President said since the voter registration exercise will be in progress the parties will then have to agree on a suitable date for the holding of the elections. "It therefore means that there is need for the completion of the draft Constitution so that the referendum can then be held either end of January or early February," said President Tsvangirai.

He paid tribute to those who liberated the country but added that the time had come for Zanu PF to pave way for those who have the energy to change things in the country. He said when Zanu PF took over from the colonial regime; the party did not have a plan for the way forward hence the destruction it has caused over the years.

"The mining sector at one time employed well over 60 000 workers but those numbers have dwindled. The farms are lying idle with little or no farming activities going on," said President Tsvangirai.

He said the MDC has policies that will address all these issues, which policies will be unveiled at a policy conference slotted for early next year. "The people of Zimbabwe are resilient and have fought a good fight for change without guns unlike elsewhere in Africa and the world," said President Tsvangirai warning Zanu PF that no matter what they do, they can never assassinate the spirit of change which is in the people of Zimbabwe.

In the forthcoming elections President Tsvangirai said the MDC will be talking about and concentrating on real issues that concern and affect the people of Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, the riot police as is usual then tried to disrupt the meeting which they had earlier cleared. The police officers were led by Assistant Inspector Dandajena and Sergeant Mazanhi.