Govt rules out GNU, foreign-supervised election re...

Govt rules out GNU, foreign-supervised election rerun

**Acting Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Amon Murwira and Angolan Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Agostinho Tavares da Silva Neto**

Zim Now Writer

There is no provision of a Government of National Unity in Zimbabwe’s Constitution, neither are there prospects of an election rerun supervised by foreign institutions as again this is illegal under the country’s laws, Sadc diplomats posted to Zimbabwe heard yesterday.

Acting Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira said this in Harare yesterday while addressing the diplomats on political developments in Zimbabwe.

This comes as there have been calls in some quarters, including the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change, which has been advocating for an election rerun, supervised by foreign institutions following its electoral defeat in the August 23 and 24 harmonised elections.

“Zimbabwe is a constitutional democracy. True to the dictates of the Constitution, Zimbabwe holds free and fair elections regularly, namely after every five years. The most recent harmonised elections were held on 23 and 24 August 2023.

“The next harmonised elections will be held in 2028. The Constitution of Zimbabwe does not expressly provide for a Government of National Unity or any election run by external institutions. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is the only lawful body mandated to run our elections,” he said.

Recent recalls of some CCC MPs, Prof Murwira said, was the opposition party’s internal matter which the Government and the ruling Zanu PF had nothing to do with.

“Government takes note of statements from some political outfit in the wake of recent recalls of Members of Parliament from a certain political party in terms of our laws.

“The unfounded aspersions and outright falsehoods seeking to embroil Government and the ruling Zanu PF Party in the recall processes, are without merit.

“For the avoidance of doubt and for the benefit of those unfamiliar with Zimbabwean laws, in terms of Section 129(1)(k) of the Zimbabwe Constitution, recalls of Members of Parliament are done by the political party to which the affected member belongs by way of written notice to the Speaker of the National Assembly or President of Senate, and not by Government.

“Against that background, it is incorrect and downright deceit for any political formation so affected by recalls to blame it on the other. Simply, no other party enjoys such a standing or mandate over the other on matters of recall,” he said.

The law, the Acting Minister added, mandated the Speaker of the National Assembly and President of the Senate - as presiding officers - to act on any and all communication from any political formation with a view to effect a recall and cannot amend or block any such communication once placed before them.

“Where a political party in opposition and represented in Parliament, of its own volition, decides to remove itself whether temporarily or permanently from processes of the legislature, no constitutional crisis arises.

“No constitutional crisis of any kind therefore arises Parties or individuals reserve the right to participate or otherwise in national processes Zimbabwe has no law that compels participation by person(s) or organisation(s),” he added.

“No amount of scapegoating can cure that. It therefore comes as a surprise that formations claiming to be democratic and enjoying all-round support (political, financial, diplomatic, organisational) from external forces, seek to blame others for their own failures,” he said.

Prof Murwira said that it was on record that CCC presidential candidate in the last election, Nelson Chamisa, had declared before the harmonised elections that he would not accept any result in which he is not declared the winner.