MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai has vowed the MDC will not be swallowed up as a junior partner in a government of national unity, should Mugabe want to negotiate with them. Speaking to Newsreel on the day Mugabe proceeded with his ‘one man election’ Tsvangirai said the MDC, with it’s control of parliament and the cities (via its winning councillors), would never accept being swallowed up by Zanu PF. ‘The burden of responsibility lies with the MDC on whether we would accept such an arrangement. How can the majority party accept to be junior partner?’

The MDC leader thanked his supporters for braving Zanu PF intimidation by boycotting the election. Tsvangirai said Friday’s election had put the country into further crisis and would not in anyway solve the problems Zimbabweans are facing. He said people had hoped the election would mark a turning point in Zimbabwe’s fortunes, but instead Mugabe had done his best to undermine the democratic process.

Asked if he will be attending the African Union summit set for Egypt next week, Tsvangirai said he would be staying in Zimbabwe but that a team of senior party officials led by Vice President Thokozani Khupe were already in Cairo mobilizing African opinion.
He applauded African leaders for their condemnation of events in Zimbabwe saying, ‘I think we are seeing a new momentum, a new thinking and standards,’ on the African continent. Tsvangirai insists any resolution to the crisis will have to come via a personal meeting between himself and Mugabe.