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Dr Sibusiso Moyo

Natasha Chamba, Chronicle Reporter
FOREIGN Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo has said Government will respect the Constitutional Court ruling on an application lodged by the MDC Alliance challenging results of the July 30 presidential poll.

President Mnangagwa won the poll with 50,8 percent of the vote but the opposition party’s candidate Mr Nelson Chamisa has gone to court challenging the results.

In an opinion piece published in The Daily Caller, a US publication on Monday, Dr Moyo said the just-ended elections were free and fair.

He said unlike in previous years, Zimbabwe opened up to international scrutiny inviting over 40 observer organisations with around 4 500 individuals, making the polls arguably the most monitored ever witnessed in Africa.

Dr Moyo said those not happy with the outcome should not be violent but should go to court as they have done and Government will be bound by the court’s verdict.

“The opposition is welcome to challenge the presidential result in court. Indeed, political stakeholders across the spectrum have urged them to rather than take to the streets. The allegations will then receive the scrutiny of court rather than the receptivity of the mob; the violent minority amongst the peaceful crowd,” he said.

“The claim will then be decisively found void or justified. The Government shall respect this verdict and implement it – just as it shall with the independent commission’s conclusion on the incidents following polling day. Then Zimbabwe can move forward.”

Dr Moyo was however confident that the court will not rule in favour of the opposition as the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) conducted an independent research on the polls and found a 0.1% difference  between the official results and its own tally.

He said ZESN, a group of over 30 NGOs respected by foreign electoral observers, carried out an independent poll sampling that corroborates the results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

“Further scrutiny is welcomed,” added Dr Moyo.

He said the violence that followed the peaceful poll resulting in the death of six people was regrettable and added that that should not however overshadow the electoral result.

Dr Moyo noted that following the death of six people in Harare, President Mnangagwa stated that the matter will be investigated by an independent commission.

“President Mnangagwa has stated he shall institute an independent commission to investigate the episode. It will comprise both Zimbabweans and international experts to produce an account free from political influence. It is essential to establish these facts if our democratic journey is to continue,” said the minister.

He said despite political differences, Zimbabweans must not weaken what is most important – maintaining peace.

He said political parties must remember the peace pledge they signed and said in that spirit, the opposition must accept the court’s ruling on their position.

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