By Zimbabwe is looking forward to holding general election this year, 2018. During the course, Zimbabweans will be voting for a new President as well as the members of the parliament. However, there have always been claims that the President, Emmerson Mnangagwa is planning on postponing the exercise until later 3 years.
The claims are mainly spearheaded by Jonathan Moyo, a former Zimbabwean minister who is a fugitive of law at the moment. Moyo says that the current president is afraid of what the results of the polls would be, since he knows he will definitely lose, hence planning to postpone the polls for until 3 years – reports show.
The President, Emmerson Mnangagwa has on several occasions addressed gatherings to clear the claims, saying that he has no such plans.
Mnangagwa in his various speeches promises that the country will hold peaceful, free, fair and credible elections. He adds urging Zimbabweans to avoid any kind of violence on the D-Day, as they will be casting their votes.
Additionally, Ziyambi Ziyambi, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on Saturday 21, January 2018, informed that the harmonized election will be held between July 23 and August 22 this year.
The minister also added that the government will follow the country’s Constitution. He as well dismissed allegations that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration wanted to postpone the polls by 3 years.
‘The Constitution says elections should be held 30 days before the expiration of Parliament which runs from the day the President was sworn into office, that is, 22 August 2018.
‘This means elections will not be held later than 22 August 2018. So the issue of postponing polls by three years is out of the question.’
‘The five-month period,’ he added, ‘mentioned by the President shows that Government is simply complying with provisions of the Constitution. Elections are due, constitutionally, between July and August 2018.’
Nevertheless, despite the President being reported to want the elections to be held as planned, some members of the parliament from his ZANU-PF party are reported to also be in favor of postponing the 2018 elections.
‘The legislators want the elections to be delayed by at least 3 years as they are afraid that they will lose their seats to soldiers who have been allowed to contest in the elections under the ZANU-PF ticket,’ reported a local newspaper.
Correspondent: Shamilah Namuddu