MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has taken his fight to
overturn President Emmerson Mnangawa’s recent electoral victory to the African
Commission for Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) following the dismissal of his
petition by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) last Friday.
His lead lawyer, Thabani Mpofu, confirmed yesterday that
his client had approached the ACHPR for recourse, adding the opposition leader
was prepared to exhaust all the legal and political remedies to his case.
“I can confirm that we have lodged a petition with the
ACHPR,” Mpofu said.
In his petition Chamisa, who claims he was robbed of his
victory in last month’s general elections, argues that the ConCourt and the
government of Zimbabwe violated the voters’ rights to a legitimate government
by manipulating the July 30 presidential election results in favour of
Mnangagwa.
Commission on Human and People’s Rights (the ACHPR)
otherwise known as the Banjul Commission to challenge the August 24
Constitutional Court decision controversially validating Zec’s decision that
Mnangagwa won the July 30, 2018 harmonised general elections,” part of the
petition read.
Chamisa added that the ACHPR had the power to declare human
rights violations and use that to overturn Mnangagwa’s victory in his favour.
“The grounds of the petition are based on the flagrant and
multiple violations of the universal human rights of the voters and people of
Zimbabwe by the current Zimbabwean regime and the ConCourt including the right
to free and fair elections, right to a fair hearing before an impartial court,
right to legal representation by counsel of choice, right against undue
political interference and the right to be governed by a legitimate
government,” he said.
Just after the declaration of Mnangagwa’s victory by Zec on
August 3, 2018, Chamisa filed a ConCourt application challenging Mnangagwa’s narrow
victory, arguing the whole electoral process had been marred by irregularities
and massive poll fraud.
But his petition was dismissed with costs by the ConCourt
led by Chief Justice Luke Malaba on grounds that he failed to provide
sufficient primary evidence to prove the alleged irregularities. Newsday
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