The two MDC formations are haggling over the Harare mayoral
elections held last week with Dr Thokozani Khupe’s MDC-T saying they want the
polls nullified.
The Khupe-led formation said the election of Councillor
Jacob Mafume from the Tendai Biti’s People Democratic Party (PDP) violated the
agreement, which provided that the MDC-T should be the one that provides the
mayor.
Cllr Mafume beat Luckson Mukunguma to land the top post in
the capital. In an interview yesterday, MDC-T secretary-general Mr Douglas
Mwonzora said an agreement that was signed by alliance partners stipulated that
the post of the mayor should be occupied by a party that had the greatest
number of councillors.
He said the post of deputy mayor should be occupied by the
party that had the second highest number of councillors.
“That agreement is still valid and it is the basis upon
which the Supreme Court made its determination when it conferred us the
legitimacy to be at the helm of the party,” said Mr Mwonzora.
He said there are several options that they were pursuing
in consultations with their lawyers.
“We cannot recall a councillor who is not from our
political party as what is the case with respect to Cllr Mafume. But one option
is to challenge the election result by applying for its nullification, another
option is to recall our councillors while another one is to leave it like that.
We are still consulting with our lawyers,” said Mr Mwonzora.
Secretary-general of the Chamisa formation Mr Charlton
Hwende said the election of councillors were done in terms of the law and not
in terms of an Alliance agreement.
“An election of a mayor is done in terms of the Urban
Councils Act and not in terms of some controversial agreement. The Act does not
make any other references that should be applied in electing a mayor.
Councillor Mafume was elected by councillors in terms of that Act and you
cannot bring in some paper which is in dispute. If Mwonzora was acting in good
faith why did he not allow Councillor Mafume to be deputy mayor from the first
instance,” he said. Herald
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