BY RICHARD MUPONDE MDC-T interim secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora won the race to become substantive party president at a chaotic extraordinary congress on Sunday but outgoing acting leader Thokozani Khupe held a Press conference to immediately “suspend” him. The court ordered congress was characterised by violence leading to Khupe, Elias Mudzuri and Morgen Komichi — the other presidential aspirants — to abandon the process citing electoral fraud and violence. Mwonzora’s pyrrhic victory was announced in the wee hours of the morning by the MDC-T’s independent electoral management body which said he had polled 883 votes out of declared 1 027 ballots, against Khupe’s 118 votes, Mudzuri  (14) and Komichi (9). Khupe told journalists on Sunday night while voting was in process that she had suspended Mwonzora from his position, while she also filed a report for serious fraud under number (IR) 123496 at Harare Central Police Station against her erstwhile partner. On Sunday morning, she had attempted to have Mwonzora arrested by the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (Sacu) on allegations of abuse of party funds but called MDC Alliance lawyer Thabani Mpofu instead of Sacu head, Tabani Mpofu. She alleged she had been manhandled by Mwonzora’s supporters and that other party members and election agents were also subjected to violence. She also cited the withdrawal of party funds by Mwonzora without following due process as the reasons for his suspension. “Following the recent developments in the party in which you have been involved in fraudulent activities regarding electoral procedures of the MDC-T extraordinary congress, instituting violence to our members and election agents as well as inappropriately withdrawing party funds without following due process, you acted in a manner inconsistent with express or implied conduct of your membership of the party, putting the party into disrepute … Accordingly in terms of clause 9.1.2.3 of the constitution of the party you are hereby suspended from your position as secretary-general of the party. During the period of your suspension you shall not perform any duties as secretary-general,” Khupe said in a statement. However, in the resolutions adopted by the congress after Mwonzora had been declared the winner, read by acting party spokesperson, Tapiwa Mashakada, said the suspension was null and void as Khupe had ceased to be the interim party president at the commencement of polling. “Interim president Thokozani Khupe ceased to be acting president at the commencement of polling at the extraordinary congress (EOC).  Now therefore, this congress resolved that the attempts by (DR) Khupe to suspend the extraordinary congress during polling was null and void and of no force or effect final,” Mashakada said. “That the purported stoppage of the EOC by (Dr) Khupe having been overruled by the independent electoral management body was null and void and of no force or effect whatsoever, as she has no power to do so. That the decision of the independent electoral management body on the elections held