Nelson Chamisa is challenging Mnangagwa’s victory in court

 

Nelson Chamisa is challenging Mnangagwa’s victory in court

Leader of the main opposition alliance, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in Zimbabwe, Nelson Chamisa, has filed a legal challenge against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent election victory.

The Constitutional Court will have 14 days to rule on the legal challenge.

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Mnangagwa was declared winner of the recent presidential election by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), saying there was “no skulduggery”. But Chamisa faulted the results even before the results were released.

A couple of opposition supporters were killed during their protests against the election result last Wednesday. Chamisa says he has evidence to show that he was cheated out of the 30 July presidential election. Opposition supporters who were arrested on Monday by the police in connection with bloody protest last Wednesday were been released on bail after the police extracted certain information from them.

The MDC Alliance party say the vote was marred by “mammoth theft and fraud”,

Mr Mnangagwa won 50.8% of the vote compared with Mr Chamisa’s 44.3%.

The MDC must prove that any irregularities were grave enough to change the outcome of the vote. If it does this successfully the court could order a recount or nullify the result altogether.

Mr Chamisa wants the court to declare him the winner or call a fresh election, his lawyer told Reuters news agency.

“We have a good case and cause!” he tweeted shortly after filing the challenge.

Mr Mnangagwa has appealed for peace and promised an independent investigation into the post-election violence.

By narrowly winning more than 50% of the vote Mr Mnangagwa avoided a run-off election against Mr Chamisa.

But the legal challenge to his victory is likely to delay his inauguration that was scheduled to take place on Sunday.