Scrutiny on Nikuv, ZEC mounts

The alleged roles played by Nikuv and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in manipulating the recent election calls for their arraignment before the courts, say politicians and analysts.

Nikuv is accused of doctoring the voters’ roll to facilitate rigging of the July 31 election. MDC-T spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, said there was every reason for Nikuv to be censored, given the role played by the Israeli company in subverting of the will of Zimbabweans at the ballot.

“Nikuv is suspected of having taken part in the monumental election fraud and should be brought before the courts for its conduct,” he said, adding that ZEC’s behaviour had also become suspicious, especially following its denial to release materials used at the polls, including the list of registered voters.

MDC-T MP Eddie Cross said the dispute was problematic as legal challenges to such an illegal exercise would be brought before compromised courts. Nikuv and ZEC should face justice, but the courts were loaded with politically appointed judges, most of whom had lost public confidence, he said.

He said besides resorting to political avenues for remedy, there was need for aggrieved parties to engage the Israeli government and pressure it into reining in Nikuv.

“We have exhausted all possible avenues for assistance from regional and continental bodies. As everybody has witnessed, regional and African leaders have endorsed the flawed election and the political option is the only avenue left for us,” said Cross.

Political analyst Shakespeare Hamauswa said although bringing suspects to justice was a noble idea, there was need to produce evidence to make a case.

“If conducted fairly, the Tsvangirai court case would have revealed evidence to incriminate the wrong doers. Court cases should not be based on hearsay but facts,” he said. “Tsvangirai could have dropped the challenges after questioning the competence of the courts, since he suspected that some underlying hands would determine outcome.”

He said, eyebrows were bound to be raised following issuing of the government passport tender to Nikuv, a company which was dragged to Zambia courts, allegedly for malpractices.

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