By Reason Razao | Senior Reporter
MDC-Alliance leader Douglas Mwonzora has lashed out at critics following a fierce backlash after the opposition leader filed a court application seeking the nullification of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) delimitation report.
Mwonzora, on Tuesday, filed an application at the Constitutional Court seeking the scrapping of the delimitation report, citing its failure to meet some requirements enshrined in the country’s rule of law.
Mwonzora, said the report could only be challenged after it was gazetted because it then formed the basis for the coming general elections.
“I challenged this report the moment it was gazetted because it now forms the basis of the coming election,” he said.
“The timing of challenging the delimitation report was not mine; the timing was of those people who then gazetted this so that it became the basis of an election.”
Following a scourge of attacks on Mwonzora for further destabilizing an already confusing electoral process, the MDC-A leader, in a Twitter Space discussion said he had the right to legally challenge the delimitation report.
MDC Alliance leader Douglas Mwonzora
“I am challenging the delimitation report because I have the right to challenge this and I am the leader of the opposition in Parliament; secondly I am the president of the MDC which is interested in this matter,” Mwonzora said.
“I am a constitution maker, I am a human rights person and I feel someone should lead the way and I have chosen to lead the way.”
Following a round of questions from panellists querying if the ConCourt application was a ploy in collusion with Zanu PF, Mwonzora chided fellow opposition leaders for folding hands at a time they should be active politically.
“Everybody agrees that the delimitation report is wrong, including the people across all political divides who were in Parliament when this report was brought up.
“They agreed that the report was wrong; the question was, what do you do with a wrong report as a responsible leader of the opposition.
“Do you fold your hands? Do you say let’s go for elections? We are fighting this travesty, we are putting it to the court to have it nullified such that Zimbabweans have a better election.”
He continued; “Now, the accusations that it is colluding with Zanu PF is a stupid one, because I have challenged Zanu PF before. Why was it okay when I challenged the Political Parties Finances Act.?
“Why should it be wrong to fight a delimitation report that is bad? If your leaders do nothing about a situation, don’t blame those leaders who do something about it.”
According to Mwanzora the delimitation report is infringing the right to equality of votes.
Responding to questions about his relationship with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mwanzora defended his visit to see the head of government.
“I went to see President Mnangagwa in my capacity as the leader of the opposition,” he explained.
“Just like other people are asking to meet him, I am sure you know that Advocate Nelson Chamisa for example has been trying to meet President Mnangagwa; every leader tries to do that because it’s a sensible thing to do.
“I do not deal with Mnangagwa at a personal level; that is wrong. There are actual people within this opposition that have dealt with him at a personal level, at a business level who are not me.”
