The court that had additional judges allocated to it to help quicken
handling of petitions will hear the applications until Friday with a
possibility that that the hearings could stretch into the weekend as
Zimbabwe’s election crisis shows little sign it will end anytime soon.
Harare lawyer Alec Muchadehama, among a team of lawyers representing MDC
candidates, said his law firm would be handling about 10 opposition
petitions this week.
“The first batch of the cases will be heard on Monday,” said Muchadehama. He
added, “Our law firm is handling 10 cases which will be heard on Monday, but
there are several other cases which will be heard this week.”
According to the Electoral Court law, the petitions are supposed to be heard
within a period of six months.
High Court Judge President Rita Makarau two weeks ago told a meeting of
judges and lawyers involved in the electoral petitions that she wanted the
cases heard within the six months period prescribed under the law.
Fifty-three ZANU PF candidates and 52 MDC candidates are challenging the
outcome of elections in their respective constituencies and want the court
to set aside the results.
The court can order the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to hold fresh polls in
some or all of the disputed constituencies, a development that could see
ZANU PF regain control of Parliament if it wins most of the constituencies
where new elections are held.
ZANU PF lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since Zimbabwe’s
1980 independence from Britain when it won 97 seats against 109 garnered by
the MDC in the March 29 polls. – ZimOnline.
Post published in: News