No way MDC-T could have 50.3% of presidential vote
Posted: Tuesday, April 22, 2008By Gabriel Mauto
April 22, 2008
The Herald
THERE is absolutely no way MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai could have won the presidential election by 50.3 percent of the votes cast, because the figures his party unilaterally released do not even give him 50 percent of the vote.
Going by the information on the MDC-T website as contained in their Press statement of April 2 2008 proclaiming their "win", it's clear that no presidential candidate reached the 50 percent threshold.
In paragraph two of the statement, reproduced in full in subsequent paragraphs, MDC-T said Tsvangirai got 1 169 860 votes, to President Mugabe's 1 043 451 while Simba Makoni weighed in with 169 636. MDC-T further claims that Tsvangirai's votes translate to 50.3 percent.
Assuming these figures are correct, simple addition, division and multiplication would show that Tsvangirai would have 49.09 percent, President Mugabe 43.79 percent and Makoni 7.12 percent. This means no one attained the requisite 50 percent + 1 vote hence a run-off would help settle matters.
So where did Tendai Biti get the 50.3 percent from? What worries me are these banal lies peddled by the MDC-T leadership to the largely captive Western world.
Does this mean MDC-T has no one in its ranks who did basic mathematics at Grade 7 level? It is evident that the MDC-T leadership is hell-bent on whipping up emotions among the gullible to create mayhem in this country.
The question is: If the MDC-T leaders start lying to the electorate now, before they are even in office, what more when they are in office? What will happen to all the high-sounding promises supposing they win the run-off?
No doubt they will definitely return land to white former commercial farmers and fail to fulfil any of their promises such as free transport, education, health and so on.
Food for thought Zimbabweans. Consider the following statement issued by Biti on April 2 proclaiming "victory" for MDC-T and Tsvangirai.
President Tsvangirai wins Presidential race 2nd April 2008 - MDC Press room.
President Morgan Tsvangirai has won the presidential race in an election, which has seen the MDC winning in most rural constituencies.
President Tsvangirai garnered 1 169 860 votes, Robert Mugabe 1 043 451 and Simba Makoni 169 636. President Tsvangirai has 50.3 percent of the total presidential vote and he has won the election with no need for a run-off.
President Tsvangirai, who has addressed bread and butter issues in his campaign, has won the presidential race, setting the mood and the hope for a new Zimbabwe and a new beginning in a country ravaged by gross misgovernance, corruption and unprecedented economic decline.
The MDC president has won even in those few constituencies where MDC parliamentary candidates narrowly lost to Zanu-PF candidates in an election marred by serious irregularities.
The MDC has 99 seats. We won all 12 House of Assembly seats and four out of five senatorial seats in Bulawayo, 28 out of the 29 seats in Harare and the majority of the seats in Manicaland, Masvingo and the Midlands provinces.
Addressing a Press conference in Harare today, MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti told journalists, diplomats and observers in Harare that President Tsvangirai had won the presidential vote and there was no need for a re-run because he had more than 50 percent of the total vote.
"While the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is delaying announcing the results, we avouch to you these results as confirmed by the figures pasted outside the polling stations in accordance with the law.
"President Morgan Richard Tsvangirai has won the election and we are waiting for the official announcement by ZEC," said Hon Biti.
"We see the state media is trying to psyche the nation towards a run off. Even though we have won the election, we are prepared to
contest the run-off even though Mugabe should avoid embarrassment by conceding defeat."
Zanu-PF had the misconception that the MDC was made up of urban supporters.
This election has debunked the myth that the MDC is an urban-based party. We have MPs in Murehwa, Hurungwe, Makoni, Buhera, Zhombe, Binga, Matobo, Bindura and Mutasa.
The nation, however, is worried about the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's delay in announcing the presidential election results.
In the townships, the Government has deployed armed police and intelligence operatives in what many suspect is a move to intimidate the people while the regime tries to fiddle with the figures.
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