Sunday, 07 July 2013 00:00
Tendai Chara
The MDC formations have formally approached Sadc over the court application that was made by Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa when he sought the postponement of the date for the harmonised elections.
Both parties are alleging that the Government, through the minister, deliberately presented a “weak” argument in an effort to influence the court to uphold July 31 as the date for this year’s harmonised elections.
Apart from the Sadc bloc, the formations also took the application to the leaders of Botswana, South Africa and Tanzania in their individual capacities.
Minister Chinamasa appealed to the Constitutional Court on behalf of Government seeking a postponement of the harmonised polls to a date beyond July 31. The Constitutional Court, however, upheld that date after throwing out five different applications which sought the postponement of the poll to various dates.
The decision by the MDC formations to once again run to Sadc has been described by political analysts as “nonsense and utter rubbish”.
Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, the MDC secretary-general, confirmed that her party has taken Minister Chinamasa’s application to Sadc so as to “inform” the regional bloc of developments.
“Basically, we wanted to inform Sadc about the current developments. It was a follow-up to the Maputo summit,” she said. Asked what her party had recommended to Sadc, she said her party informed the bloc that Minister Chinamasa’s application was made in bad faith and was deliberately made weaker.
“In his court arguments, the minister argued that he was forced to make the application by Sadc and that he was engaging in a process that he did not agree with.
“The minister deliberately presented weak arguments with the intention of having the July 31 date upheld,” Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushomga said. “It is entirely up to Sadc to determine whether the application and the whole process was done in good or bad faith. Sadc can go ahead and make its own decisions.”
Mr Luke Tamborinyoka, the spokesperson for Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, refuted claims that his boss approached Sadc over the court application.
“As a party (MDC-T), we commented on Chinamasa’s application publicly.
“We never approached Sadc over that application since there is absolutely no reason for us to do that.
“After all, what Minister Chinamasa presented to the Constitutional Court was a Zanu- PF and not Government application.
“The minister personally and later ally crafted that application without consulting us.
“As you might be aware, Mr Tsvangirai made his own court application. Sadc is well aware of this drama.”
Mr Tawanda Zinyama, a lecturer in the department of Politics and Administration at the University of Zimbabwe, described the MDC formations’ decision to approach Sadc as “nonsense and utter rubbish”.
“The MDC formations are acting as if they are not aware of the fact that Sadc is only a guarantor of the Global Political Agreement. Sadc does not delegate the running of this country. Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans and if the MDC formations think that Sadc can make decisions for us, then the parties are completely lost.
“The formations are employing delaying tactics. They are not ready for the elections and they know that they will bite the dust come election time. As a sovereign nation, we cannot be held at ransom by two confused political formations.”
A senior lecturer in the department of Media and Social Studies at the Midlands State University, Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri, said the formations were “wasting time”.
“The two MDCs can pursue all their perceived channels. It is their right and prerogative. However, they must not waste time by coming up with theoretical suppositions. The people are sick and tired of the current political arrangement and are ready for the elections,” Dr Mhiripiri said.
“Sadc is in a difficult position. They cannot challenge the decision of a Constitutional Court. The regional bloc’s hands are tied on this one.”
Labels: MDC, PATRICK CHINAMASA, SADC
posted by MrK @ 1:44 PM
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