‘Call To Arms’- Tsvangirai Urges Supporters To Register As Voters Ahead Of 2018 elections

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has ordered party structures to mobilise supporters, especially the youth, to register as voters in preparation for the 2018 elections.

The party, which claims to have been cheated of victory in past votes, has boycotted recent by-elections and ruled out participating in any future polls unless and until the Zanu PF government implements key reforms to make the contests fairer.

On the ground however, the former premier is actively preparing for another showdown with the 91-year-old President Robert Mugabe who has since been confirmed Zanu PF’s candidate for the 2018 vote.

According to Tell Zimbabwe, Tsvangirai issued the call to arms while addressing the MDC-T’s Masvingo provincial executive this week.

“Let’s go and mobilise our people so that they can register as voters especially the youths. We need to launch a massive voter education so that we can remove Zanu PF from power”, said Tsvangirai.

He told party leaders to school supporters in the country’s electoral process to prevent problems on polling day.

“We do not want a situation where people are turned away because their names don’t appear at certain polling stations. This is a trick used by Zanu PF to try and discourage people from voting,” said the MDC-T leader.

“Zanu PF has a tendency of putting more polling stations in their strongholds and in our strongholds they put few and dispersed polling stations.”

Tsvangirai denies losing to Mugabe in successive elections since forming the MDC in 1999. The opposition leader claims his rival is a serial election cheat who often uses intimidation and outright violence to retain power.

Zimbabweans fed-up with the Zanu PF regime should however refuse to be cowed, said Tsvangirai.

“We should not be intimidated because your vote is your secret,” said the ex-premier.

“What is shocking is the number of assisted voters who are said not to be able to write in a country with higher levels of literacy.

“I plead with you (party leaders) to encourage all our youths to get registered and vote – that way Zanu PF will find it difficult to steal our vote.”

Although Zanu PF has ignored the MDC-T’s demands for reforms and its boycotting of recent elections, the opposition party’s secretary general insisted that the ruling party would give in. source-newzimbabwe