Zimbabwean News You Can Trust
The Douglas Mwonzora led Movement For Democratic Change has described the upcoming general election scheduled for August 23 as a farce.
The MDC’s sentiments come after the Electoral Court yesterday dismissed the party’s appeal against the rejection of the majority of its candidates’ nomination papers by the electoral body.
In a statement, the beleaguered MDC accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission {ZEC} of “conniving with the government to muzzle democracy before, during and after the elections.”
“The elections slated for August 23 are now but a complete farce and are characterized by mass exclusion of other contestants. Furthermore, they are being held under a delimitation report that is completely illegal and was condemned by parliament.
“The MDC is now only left with 24 candidates contesting in constituencies besides proportional representation. Our participation in this election is clearly under serious protest. The ZEC and government have restricted democratic space in Zimbabwe,” reads the statement.
MDC is not the only political party grappling with what it views as unfair electoral practices by the authorities as the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is locked in mortal kombat with the ruling party and government after 12 of its House Of Assembly candidates were disqualified by the courts from standing in the polls on the technicality that they submitted their nomination papers after the 4PM cut off timeon the final day of the sitting of the nomination court.
The CCC candidates have since appealed the High Court ruling at the Supreme court. The case will be heard tomorrow.
Meanwhile CCC Leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa has threated to boycott the elections if the “Bulawayo 12” are not allowed to run.
Addressing thousands of supporters at a rally in Marondera on Sunday, the charismatic Chamisa threatened a boycott of the election stating that “there is no elections that will be held without the 12 CCC candidates in Bulawayo.”
Last week, former Zanu PF youth leader, Jim Kunaka, launch a constitutional court appeal against the disqualification of Savior Kasukuwere from running for President.
In his appeal, Kunaka argued that the ruling by High Court Judge Justice David Mangota violated the constitutional right of voters to vote for their preferred Presidential candidate.
Kasukuwere, a former Cabinet Minister and Zanu Pf Political Commissar was barred from standing as a candidate in the August 23 elections on the technicality that he has been out of the country for more than 18 months. A clause in the Electoral act requires that a candidate must ordinarily be a resident and have been in the constituency in the last 18 months.
The court case that disqualified Kasukuwere was initiated by Zanu Of activist Lovedale Mangwana. Kasukuwere appealed against the ruling at the Supreme Court but lost the case. The Apex court threw out Tyson’s appeal saying it lacked merit. It didn’t give reasons for its ruling.
In a related case, a Bulawayo voter has made an urgent chamber application at the High Court seeking the disqualification of Zanu Pf Bulawayo South House of Assembly candidate Rajeshkumar Modi from standing in the elections, citing the fact that the ruling party candidate submitted his nomination papers after the 4PM cut off time on the final day of the nominations.
