This is a press statement by the National People’s Party President Dr Joice Mujuru on the occasion of the signing of the Electoral Alliance agreement between NPP and DARE
Good morning ladies and gentleman.Welcome to our agreement signing ceremony of the Electoral Alliance between National Peoples Party (NPP) and Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment (DARE). It is almost four months since we signed our first MoU with MDC-T that signalled the first attempt towards a coalition of opposition players in preparation for the watershed 2018 harmonized elections.
Late last week we signed an electoral alliance with Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE) in the spirit of inclusivity; inclusivity being one of our core values as a party.It is in the same spirit and in keeping with the provisions of our MoU that today we are signing an electoral alliance agreement with DARE. It is equally in the same spirit that you may have heard that MDC-T have signed other MoUs with more opposite parties. These signings are provided for our MoU we signed with MDC-T and therefore should not be read to signal discord among coalition partners.
That the war before us need the power of the collective is not a matter for debate. Inclusivity is all about bringing together our relative strengths and combining them the same way ingredients are combined to make a delicious meal. The door is not closed; we welcome all well meaning partners to join hands in the fight for a better Zimbabwe for all. With the right framework, there is enough scope for all genuine progressive forces to cooperate in ending peoples suffering through democratic means.I say genuine because I’m fully aware that there could be elements bent on infiltrating our noble initiative to cause confusion but be rest assured that we have enough safeguards in our frameworks to deal with such elements.
The happenings in the just ended Chiwundura bi-election are an eye opener in many aspects.First was the discovery by ERC of blatant manipulation of the voters roll which cast doubt on the independence of ZEC from the shenanigans of the registrar general’s office.While nearly 2000 entries on the voters roll were alleged to have irregularities, it is heartening that the election watchdog was able to pick it. That they were able the ‘fraud’ also means those being used to do these things are equally tired of the status quo and will always be cooperating in unearthing this unacceptable behaviour.
The ultimate results of the same poll were also quite telling, registering one of the lowest voter turnout rate at 22%. Whilst some might want to argue that it was low because of the absence of strong opposition, it is also true that it reflects the diminishing capacity of the ruling party to marshal citizens to vote against their wishes.With a good 78% of the voting population untapped, there is hope for a united front against the regime.We need to go out and convince even half of the interested voters to register and vote in all the constituencies and make life difficult for the rigging machinery.
The clarion call for a united coalition to guarantee change come 2018 has bee heard and I can confirm our party’s commitment to the coming together of genuine opposition forces to deliver victory for the people of Zimbabwe. I urge our supporters and the citizens of Zimbabwe to remain calm as we conclude our discussions. As I have always said we don’t negotiate in the media, so don’t be misled by headlines suggesting that the coalition talks are dead. We will soon be coming to you with an official position as principals.Let us be one in this drive to make ZIMBABWE GREAT again.
WE ARE THE FUTURE! WE HAVE THE SOLUTION!
