President Tsvangirai’s statement on Zimbabwe’srun off election.

66 people have been killed, 200 people unaccounted for, 3000 in hospitals, and over 25000 internally displaced. We have also witnessed a continuing trend of targeted attacks on our candidates, party leadership, and members. The structures of our party have been decimated with our polling agents remaining prime targets. 

As a party we condemn violence in all its forms and wish to state that no single person should die on account of political differences. We won this election and therefore only the loser has a score to settle with the masses. This is why ZANU PF has setup bases across the country. Mugabe and his wife have been shedding crocodile tears by visiting MDC victims of political violence when his militia man are in fact the authors and perpetrators of the massacre. 

In particular we want to condemn the role of Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri who has refused to carry out his duties. Chihuri is accountable for protecting ZANU PF thugs and creating a partisan culture of policing.  We sympathize with those members of the police who have been humiliated, beaten, and violently tortured simply because they had refused to act on unlawful instructions. 

Of late a group calling themselves vana vevhu has presented a position where they wish to repeat the land grabs of 2000. This group claims their patron is Grace Mugabe. What is clear is that Robert Mugabe wants to repeat the chaotic and violent land grab by unleashing this group on the people while confessing ignorance. We know that this is a preemptive strategy designed to undermine the will of the people in the face of yet another imminent defeat. 

This is the political environment prevailing in our country 17 days before the run off election. 

ZANU PF is also circulating a fabricated document purportedly signed by me and the secretary general of our party. This document misrepresents our party’s policy on land in particular the role of whites in a future Zimbabwe as well as the armed forces, civil servants, and ex combatants. A core campaign has been created to misinform our traditional leaders on the issues l have mentioned above. We wish to restate that our party has clear policies on land, and the need to keep our army and police force professional. 

Against this background Robert Mugabe is making every effort to create a situation where he emerges the winner and therefore is making a concerted effort to undermine the Zimbabwe electoral commission by employing militia and soldiers as staffers. 

We are aware that there is an attempt to abuse the postal vote system. We are also aware that there is an attempt to undermine those security forces right to a secret ballot. Through its campaign on terror unleashed on people mainly in the rural areas, ZANU PF has forcibly withdrawn national identity document from some of our members. For some their documents were destroyed together with their property as their houses were burnt. It is clear that ZANU PF strategy is a dooms day strategy. 

The illegitimacy of this regime will certainly be confirmed if Mugabe declares himself a winner. 

There has been growing momentum on the question of a government of national unity. Speculation is rife on this issue with some saying negotiations are taking place. Others say the agreement has already been signed. Nothing can be further from the truth. Since the announcement of the election date for a run off, no one can change that date unless Robert Mugabe concedes defeat. It therefore means that a government of national unity negotiated before the run off does not arise. 

We have been on record as saying once a mandate has been given to us we will form an inclusive government as a way of managing our transition. We are committed to this position. 

We wish to state that the Kenyan model of a government of national unity is not an option because here the people have clearly spoken and our circumstances are different. The people’s choice must be respected. 

In spite of the conditions on the ground the MDC is focused on the run off and has developed counter strategies of campaigning. I am encouraged by the people’s determination and their desire to ensure that we finish it and we dismiss hunger, poverty, loss of dignity and suffering on June 27, 2008. This is the change you can trust. Our victory is certain.