Zimpapers Logo

Mr Utoile Silaigwana

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) yesterday said it was relishing the ruling of the Constitutional Court and reports from observer missions that it superintended over a credible election.

The Constitutional Court on Friday ruled against MDC Alliance presidential candidate Advocate Nelson Chamisa who had filed an application challenging President Mnangagwa’s victory, alleging electoral malpractice.

He however, failed to produce evidence to support his case resulting in the Chief Justice Luke Malaba sitting with eight other ConCourt judges dismissing his case with costs.

The court upheld President Mnangagwa’s electoral victory declaring him the President of Zimbabwe and he was sworn into office on Sunday.

In an interview yesterday, Zec Acting Chief Elections Officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana said the apex court’s ruling dispelled unfounded claims that the commission rigs elections.

“Zec has been vindicated by the Constitutional Court which shows that Zec conducted this election in terms of the Electoral Law. The election was credible hence it was also proved through the petition which went through the Constitutional Court,” said Mr Silaigwana.

He said inviting international observers was a plus for the commission as preliminary reports by most observer missions have credited Zec for running the election in a professional manner.

Government invited international observers to watch as the country’s citizens chose their political leaders.

The pre-election environment was peaceful serve for post election violence sparked by the MDC Alliance that was refusing to accept results, before most of them had been announced.

The incident in Harare claimed six lives.

“The lessons we are learning through inviting observers is that it is important to have observers as most of them have given us the thumbs up on the electoral process. It’s a lesson that we need to stick to the Electoral Law as was done,” Mr Silaigwana said.

“We are still to get the full reports. But from the preliminary reports we have received, the observers are saying the elections were conducted professionally.”

The Acting Chief Elections Officer said Zec was also impressed with the upsurge in the number of people who voted.

He said more than 85 percent of registered voters voted on July 30 compared to past elections which attracted just over 50 percent of the registered voters.

Mr Silaigwana said the electorate should accept the poll outcomes as the country’s democracy was enhanced.

“I think it’s important for our citizens to accept the outcomes of the elections, particularly an election like this one which was observed by the whole world. It was confirmed by the observer missions that the election was credible. So it is important for us to accept the outcomes of a credible election,” he said.

@nqotshili