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Mr Nelson Chamisa

Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
LOSING presidential candidates wishing to challenge the outcome of the July 30 harmonised elections are required to fork out a security deposit of $5 000 upon filing their petitions.

Those challenging the results of the National Assembly will have to pay $2 000 while petitions lodged by candidates who took part in the local authority elections are supposed to pay $1 000.

According to Practice Direction Number 1 of 2018, signed by Chief Justice Luke Malaba, the Registrar of the Electoral Court is, in terms of section 168 (3) of the Electoral Act as read with section 28 of the Electoral Regulations of 2005, required to fix an amount of security for costs being not less than the amount prescribed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) after consultation with the Chief Justice.

“After the necessary consultations, the amount prescribed for petitions filed consequently to the 30 July 2018 harmonised elections is: (i) US$1 000 for local authority election petitions (ii) US$2 000 for National Assembly election petitions and (iii) US$5 000 for Presidential election petitions,” read the document signed by Chief Justice Malaba.

The Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance claimed that it had gathered enough evidence to challenge electoral results in 20 constituencies, while results in other constituencies were still being “analysed” as the opposition desperately seeks to overturn Zanu-PF and President-Elect Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa’s victory in the just ended polls.

Cde Mnangagwa received 50,8 percent of the total votes cast but Mr Chamisa, who garnered 44,3 percent of the vote, has rejected the results announced by Zec, alleging that they were manipulated.

Mr Chamisa on Saturday met all the party’s candidates who participated in the just-ended polls for a review of the process.

Speaking after the meeting, party chairperson Mr Morgen Komichi said the meeting was part of the evidence-building process to enable them to file a court challenge against the results.

On his twitter account yesterday, Mr Chamisa announced that they have just finished going through the evidence given by their agents and V11 forms from across the country.

He claimed that his party had won the elections.

“We won this election emphatically. Zec’s figures are falsified and inflated in favour of the outgoing President. We are ready for the inauguration and formation of the next government,” he posted.

In terms of the Electoral Act, petitions are lodged by candidates who took part in an election if they feel aggrieved by anything to do with the conduct of that election.

@mashnets