UK, Birmingham – The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, has rejected outright the Zanu PF pre...
UK, Birmingham – The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, has rejected outright the Zanu PF precondition that the MDC must first concede defeat in the elections of 2013 before any national dialogue can begin.
Since Mugabe’s controversial win last year the economy has been in free fall marked by companies closing down and worsening the unemployment situation in the country. Over the past few months Tsvangirai has suggested that the solution was unconditional dialogue between the political parties in the country.
“If they think I will concede defeat, they are deluding themselves because everyone knows last year’s election was stolen. I will not do it. Everyone knows that election was stolen,” Tsvangirai told supporters in Birmingham.
He said the dialogue needed was not just between political parties but a broad section of stakeholders including students, trade unions, industry and the church, among other players. With good leadership, Zimbabwe had the potential to reclaim its rightful place on the continent and in the world he said.
The former Prime Minister dismissed speculation his party was desperate to get back into government, saying the call for dialogue was a simple demand for a national conversation that had become very urgent in the wake of the crisis in the country.
Morgan Tsvangirai addressing the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London.
Turning to troubles in his own party, Tsvangirai said while Zimbabweans are facing such a huge crisis, others remained misguided by regarding him, and not Zanu PF, as being at the centre of the national crisis.
He said there was a group of former colleagues in the MDC, that went on a retreat in January plotting, not how to deal with Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe “who are the centre of the national crisis, but conspiring how to unconstitutionally remove Morgan Tsvangirai from office.”
“Ambition is not criminal but there are rules. It is only congress that removes and installs leaders in the MDC. I also want to assure you that I will not die in office like Robert Mugabe. I will leave office one day and leave others to carry the mantle forward,” he said.
Tsvangirai is in the United Kingdom at the invitation of the Royal Institution of International Affairs who wanted him to speak on the situation in Zimbabwe at Chatham House.
After his presentation at Chatham House on Friday, Tsvangirai entered day three of his trip with a schedule that included an address to Zimbabweans in Birmingham on Saturday.
The MDC leader also held an hour-long meeting with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham where they discussed the various areas of co-operation, including the possibility of twinning arrangements between the city of Birmingham and some of the cities in Zimbabwe, most of which are run by MDC-led councils.
The rally was preceded by a meeting between the MDC leader and party structures in the UK and Ireland before a rally was held in the afternoon.
Later, Tsvangirai, who is accompanied on the UK trip by his wife and officials from his office, was on Saturday part of a fundraising dinner in Birmingham. The dinner was meant to raise funds for the party back home.
Tsvangirai returns home this week. - See more at: http://nehandaradio.com/2014/07/27/tsvangirai-will-concede-defeat-mugabe/#sthash.NunGgvo1.dpuf
Since Mugabe’s controversial win last year the economy has been in free fall marked by companies closing down and worsening the unemployment situation in the country. Over the past few months Tsvangirai has suggested that the solution was unconditional dialogue between the political parties in the country.
“If they think I will concede defeat, they are deluding themselves because everyone knows last year’s election was stolen. I will not do it. Everyone knows that election was stolen,” Tsvangirai told supporters in Birmingham.
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| Tsvangirai: I will not concede defeat to Mugabe |
The former Prime Minister dismissed speculation his party was desperate to get back into government, saying the call for dialogue was a simple demand for a national conversation that had become very urgent in the wake of the crisis in the country.
Morgan Tsvangirai addressing the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London.
Turning to troubles in his own party, Tsvangirai said while Zimbabweans are facing such a huge crisis, others remained misguided by regarding him, and not Zanu PF, as being at the centre of the national crisis.
He said there was a group of former colleagues in the MDC, that went on a retreat in January plotting, not how to deal with Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe “who are the centre of the national crisis, but conspiring how to unconstitutionally remove Morgan Tsvangirai from office.”
“Ambition is not criminal but there are rules. It is only congress that removes and installs leaders in the MDC. I also want to assure you that I will not die in office like Robert Mugabe. I will leave office one day and leave others to carry the mantle forward,” he said.
Tsvangirai is in the United Kingdom at the invitation of the Royal Institution of International Affairs who wanted him to speak on the situation in Zimbabwe at Chatham House.
After his presentation at Chatham House on Friday, Tsvangirai entered day three of his trip with a schedule that included an address to Zimbabweans in Birmingham on Saturday.
The MDC leader also held an hour-long meeting with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham where they discussed the various areas of co-operation, including the possibility of twinning arrangements between the city of Birmingham and some of the cities in Zimbabwe, most of which are run by MDC-led councils.
The rally was preceded by a meeting between the MDC leader and party structures in the UK and Ireland before a rally was held in the afternoon.
Later, Tsvangirai, who is accompanied on the UK trip by his wife and officials from his office, was on Saturday part of a fundraising dinner in Birmingham. The dinner was meant to raise funds for the party back home.
Tsvangirai returns home this week. - See more at: http://nehandaradio.com/2014/07/27/tsvangirai-will-concede-defeat-mugabe/#sthash.NunGgvo1.dpuf
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