Zwnews Chief Correspondent
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called on MDC –Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa to approach the courts if he feels the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)’s conduct is against the Constitution.
Chamisa has vowed that he would rather seek redress from the people, through peaceful demonstrations, and not with the judiciary system, which he believes is a junta captured organisation, and likely to rule in favour of Mnangagwa and his junta.
Meanwhile, a political analyst has queried why Mnangagwa himself refused to face the same justice system when he was fired by former president Robert Mugabe, who was determined to arrest him and make him to face justice. Mnangagwa instead had to jump the borders because he had no confidence in the judiciary system.
Prominent political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya, asks; “Why is ED and some not so informed members of the international community asking opposition to trust a captured judiciary. Why did Mnangagwa flee instead of facing the justice system?”
He says Chamisa has the democratic right to raise the red flag if he feels that ZEC is not operating in a transparent manner.
However, when Chamisa said he will use demonstrations to push for a level playing field, ZANU PF read him otherwise, and claims he wanted to unleash violence. Peaceful demonstrations are provided for in the laws of Zimbabwe.
Another political analyst, Alex Magaisa says it surprises him that when the soldiers rolled into town in armoured personnel carriers to grab power, ZANU PF called it peaceful transfer of power.
“But when citizen vow to assert and defend their rights in an electoral process they call it lawlessness and threaten to unleash the might of the state,” says Magaisa.
In a related matter, responding to Kofi Annan’s call that the opposition must stop making unreasonable electoral demands, Ruhanya says refusing and challenging electoral bullying by a captured state institution (ZEC) is not demanding too much. He adds that Zimbabweans are citizens and not subjects.
