MDC-Alliance presidential candidate Mr Nelson Chamisa
yesterday threatened to usurp the powers of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
and breach the Electoral Act by unilaterally announcing results of the July 30
harmonised elections.
Further, Mr Chamisa said his party had Germany scientists
whom they wanted to do “forensic testing of every ballot paper to be used in
the election”.
The alliance yesterday staged its second demonstration in
Harare against ZEC, but dramatically trimmed its litany of demands from 10 to
two, without giving any explanation.
Addressing party supporters who gathered for the
demonstration at Africa Unity Square, Mr Chamisa said he was ready to break the
Electoral law by announcing the election results before ZEC.
The Electoral Act indicates only ZEC has the mandate to
announce election results through its chief elections officer within five days
of polling.
“We are going for elections and we have already won,” said
Mr Chamisa.
“After voting, we will converge at a place we will
announce. We will announce the election (results) to you. We are going to tell
you the election results because we do not trust ZEC to announce accurate
results. It is us who are going to announce and we have set up the machinery in
here and outside the country to tabulate the results,” he said.
Mr Tendai Biti, then MDC-T secretary-general, was arrested
in 2008 for announcing unofficial presidential results in which he claimed the
late Mr Morgan Tsvangirai had won by 50,3 percent to obviate a run-off.
Mr Tsvangirai resoundingly lost the run-off.
Observers yesterday said it was shocking that Mr Chamisa, a
lawyer, wanted to cause alarm and despondency in a country that had witnessed a
peaceful pre-election environment.
Mr Chamisa claimed Government had brought in Russians to
assist Zanu-PF to win the polls, but his party would counter that using German
scientists.
Prior to that, Mr Chamisa — who conflated ZEC and Zanu-PF
throughout his speech — had told his party supporters that the sovereignty of
the country did not allow foreigners to interfere in the management of
elections.
“They (ZEC and Zanu-PF) want to change the ballot paper,”
he said.
“Right now they have Russians. I am being told by insiders
and soldiers. I am watching them and if they are helping Zanu-PF on elections
then we have an issue with that.
“Sovereignty of the country doesn’t allow to have
foreigners coming to interfere with our electoral processes. We are taking up
that matter and we are not going to budge.”
He went on: “We have our scientists from Germany who will
do forensic testing of every ballot paper to be used in the election. Our
ballot is a security issue, elections are a national security issue. Respect
the people of Zimbabwe.”
Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya Moyo said of the
alleged Russians: “Can he (Mr Chamisa) name them to authenticate his usual
dreams?”
Mr Chamisa said they had downscaled their demands against
ZEC because the other eight were frivolous.
“We had ten demands, but we have decided to shelve the
other demands because they don’t matter,” he said.
“We have an issue on the voters’ roll and the ballot paper.
We should agree on the ballot paper. We have said if you want to proceed with
the elections without consensus that election will not be held. (ZEC
chairperson) Justice Priscilla Chigumba is just a front of Zanu-PF. (President)
Mnangagwa is behind the rigging plot.”
By reducing the demands, Presidential Press Secretary Mr
George Charamba said, Mr Chamisa had “blinked”.
“He has moved from infinity grievances against ZEC down to
two,” he said.
“We expect his next demonstration will be over grievance
number zero.”
The MDC-Alliance continues with its demos despite ZEC
having availed the voters’ roll to political parties and election stakeholders.
Political parties have also been invited to observe the
printing of ballot papers which is being done at Fidelity Printers.
Mr Chamisa threatened to make Zimbabwe ungovernable if the
alliance’s demands were not met.
“We are now assessing the situation and after dialogue with
ZEC this week, if there is no movement, we will not sleep,” he said.
“We will camp here in Harare. This is the last
demonstration where we are returning home. Going forward no one will go back
home after demonstrating. The whole country will be here. We will close our
homes and camp here.” Herald
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