(Last Updated on April 6, 2021 by GERALD NCUBE)
HARARE – Opposition MDC Alliance Secretary-General Chalton Hwende has dismissed reports that the party is weighing up the possibility of boycotting by-elections.
This follows reports that they were considering a boycott if the Douglas Mwonzora led MDC-T is allowed to hijack their party name.
Commenting on an article, Hwende said they were going to fight for the party name.
“The MDC Alliance will not boycott by-elections. The headline is misleading. The correct position is we will fight for our name. And we will not allow ZEC to conduct elections in the country if they don’t allow us to use our name during elections. We are the MDC Alliance,” Hwende said.
Recently, MDC-T spokesperson Witness Dube suggested that they were the owners of the Alliance name because they were the principal party in the coalition.
This is despite that MDC-T contested the last elections separately from the MDC Alliance.
Since the controversial judgement last year granting then MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe interim leadership of the party, the MDC Alliance has withstood massive attacks including recalls of more than 50 legislators from both parliament and local authorities and occupation of their offices.
The Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance has been calling for by-elections which remain suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic despite Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) lifting the suspension on other electoral activities.