THE Constitutional Court (Concourt) yesterday ruled that harmonised elections will go ahead on July 31 as set by President Robert Mugabe. Report by Staff Reporter.
Mugabe, through Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa reluctantly approached the Concourt for a two-week extension to the poll date following advice from a Sadc summit held in Mozambique last month.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC leader Welshman Ncube had also filed applications seeking an extension arguing that Mugabe had acted unilaterally in setting the poll date.
But in a judgment delivered by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, the Concourt said the applications had no merit.
“For the avoidance of doubt, elections should proceed on the 31st of July in terms of the proclamation by the President in compliance with the order of this court,” he said.
Tsvangirai challenged the date, saying the voters’ roll was in a “shambles” and that Mugabe had violated their power-sharing agreement.
Luke Tamborinyoka, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson, said they would accept the ruling.
“Since the court has ruled, it means we have to go by that date,” he said.
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Mugabe’s determination to push for an early poll against advice from regional leaders has increased fears of a repeat of 2008 where his re-election was marred by violence.
Tsvangirai, who had won the first round of the presidential election, was forced to withdraw from the runoff poll, leaving Mugabe as the sole candidate.
However, the veteran ruler — in power since 1980 — was isolated by regional leaders and the international community, forcing him to form a coalition with the MDC formations.
The inclusive government formed in 2009 was characterised by discord as Zanu PF started pushing for elections the following year.
South African President Jacob Zuma, the Sadc-appointed mediator on the Zimbabwe crisis had said he was expecting a month-long extension to the election date.
Finance minister Tendai Biti who insisted that the inclusive government had no money for the polls, said Mugabe had made mockery of Sadc’s intervention in Zimbabwe.
“I will be meeting the principals next week about funding of the elections. We don’t have the money and it will have to be sourced externally,”
