Since the day of the sitting of the nomination Court on June 21, different Political parties haven’t ceased to take the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Courts.
From ZANU PF to CCC to MDC to UZA and several other individuals and parties, ZEC has seen one lawsuit after the other as the contending parties accuse the electoral mother body of lacking credibility in running the electoral process.
Last month, ZANU PF activist Lovedale Mangwana took ZEC to Court for allowing Independent Presidential Candidate Saviour Kasukuwere to participate in this year’s elections.
Mangwana accused ZEC of violating the electoral Act, which he argued that it does not allow a person who has not been resident in the country for more than 18 months to participate in an election. The law stupilates that any candidate who has not been ordinarily resident in the constituency for a period of eighteen (18) months ceases to be a registered voter.
One has to be a registered voter in order to participate in Zimbabwean elections as a candidate.
Kasukuwere appealed the High Court’s ruling at the Supreme court and lost the case.
ZEC was also taken to Courts by Zanu Pf activists for accepting the nomination papers for 12 CCC House of Assembly candidates in Bulawayo, claiming that they has filed their papers after the 4 P.M cut off time. ZEC however argued this position, stating in supporting affidavits that the Twelve (12) CCC candidates had filed their documents before 4PM.
Bulawayo High Court Judge, Justice Bongani Ndlovu ruled in favour of Zanu Pf activists, disqualifying the main opposition’s twelve candidates. The CCC has threatened to boycott the elections if its candidates are not restored on the ballot paper.
The Chamisa led CCC has taken the matter to the Supreme Court and a hearing will be held on Wednesday to decide it’s candidates’ fate.
The Douglas Mwonzora led Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) has also taken ZEC to court after the Justice Priscilla Chigumba led electoral mother body allegedly rejected nominations for 87 of its candidates. The case still awaits a ruling.
United Zimbabwe Alliance President Elisabeth Valerio also took ZEC to court for rejecting her nomination papers and won the case. She will contest the elections as Presidential candidate for her party.
The myriad of court cases against ZEC, with less than a month to go before the elections has sent tongues waging, with many stakeholders and analysts questioning the electoral body’s capacity to run a free and fair election. With most of the cases not yet resolved, many candidates and their parties do not know their fate and ZEC has yet to start the printing of ballots as a result.
“If they are taken to courts now, will they be able to conduct a free and fair election,” asked Gift “Ostallos” Siziba, the CCC Deputy Spokesperson at a Chitungwiza rally on Saturday.
Opposition parties have accused ZEC of being captured by the ruling party ZANU PF , which they say is using everything at its disposal to manipulate the elections.