At its extraordinary summit on Zimbabwe, the Southern African Development Community directed Justice Minister, Patrick Chinamasa to seek at least a two week delay to the holding of the elections.
This followed a proclamation of the July 31 date by Mugabe after a Harare man, Jealousy Mawarire, won a case in which he was seeking an order compelling Mugabe to proclaim election dates.
Tsvangirai’s lawyer, Advocate Lewis Uriri recently told The Zimbabwean that they would be seeking to have Mugabe’s proclamation of election dates unlawful.
Chinamasa’s application was disregarded by the Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, and the leader of the MDC, Welshman Ncube who went on to file counter applications calling for a delay to the July 31 date.
This week, a case management meeting between the Constitutional Court judges and lawyers resolved that Tsvangirai, Ncube, human rights defender, Nixon Nyikadzino and Maria Phiri would be the principal applicants in the matter.
Nyikadzino was arguing that the July 31 date for elections did not give enough time for reforms necessary for the holding of free and fair polls while Phiri’ said she was being deprived of her right to register to vote as she was being considered alien.
Mugabe, Chinamasa, Mawarire, the Attorney General’s Office, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara, were cited as respondents.
The Constitutional Court today dismissed the requests by the applicants with no orders to costs.
In making today’s ruling, Chief Justice, Godfrey Chidyausiku said: “The Court unanimously concludes that the applications should be and are hereby dismissed with no orders as to costs.
"For the avoidance of doubt, election should proceed on the 31st of July in terms of the proclamation by the President of Zimbabwe in compliance with the order of this Court issued as CCZ1/2013. Reasons for the judgement are to follow.”
Post published in: News