CCC financially backing bid to postpone elections – claims Mwonzora; MDC leader mounts fresh court challenge

By Darlington Gatsi

EMBATTLED Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has claimed that main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) members are financially supporting his bid to challenge the ZEC delimitation report and seek postponement of this year’s elections.

Mwonzora last month filed a Constitutional Court application seeking the nullification of the ZEC delimitation report gazetted in February.

In his application Mwonzora claimed the delimitation report was flawed as it contains irregularities such as opaqueness of the exercise in coming up with new boundaries.

The opposition leader sought the annulment of the report which would pave way for a new exercise.

Monday the Constitutional court bench led by Justice Luke Malaba dismissed Mwonzora’s application saying it lacked jurisdiction.

Mwonzora appears to have dusted himself from the Constitutional hurdle and will be launching another bid to have the delimitation report be set aside.

“We have prepared our papers and today we are filing our application before the High Court seeking the same relief. We argue that a declaration must be made that the delimitation report is invalid, ZEC must be ordered to redo and that the proclamation must, by the President, follow receipt of a correct delimitation report,” said Mwonzora.

Mwonzora avers that the delimitation report does not factor in last year’s census statistics.

Following the ruling by Chief Justice Luke Malaba, CCC leader Nelson Chamisa had taken a shot at Mwonzora for conniving with Zanu Pf to delay the polls.

The MDC leader has however claimed that despite being taunted in public by CCC, its members have supported his court bid.

“There are a number of people in CCC who were encouraging me to persist with the application to the extent of offering financial help there,” he said.

The delimitation report has stirred controversy since it was gazetted early this year when Zanu PF member Tonderai Chadawa attempted to challenge it before the Constitutional court.

The application by Mwonzora before the courts courted flak from political observers who accused the opposition leader of attempting to avoid a plebiscite.

Last year Mwonzora fired blanks during by-elections and commentators have scribed his political epitaph as they predict a similar plot during this year’s elections.