Harare: Zimbabwe President elect Emmerson Mnangagwa has filed opposing papers at the country’s apex court challenging an application by opposition leader Nelson Chamisa seeking the nullification of July 30 presidential results.
Zimbabwe’s electoral body declared Mnangagwa winner in the harmonised elections, but Chamisa approached the Constitutional Court claiming the polls were rigged.
Mnangagwa in his submissions denied vote fraud, and asked the apex court to dismiss Chamisa’s application he described as “political rhetoric” full of speculation and not facts.
“The applicant got intoxicated by crowd euphoria and conceived that there was only one possible outcome from the election. He boasted that not even a run-off was possible…he had promised his supporters in his campaign that he would quit politics if he lost to me.
“He was so consumed with self confidence that he even pledged his sister to me if I got 10% of the vote,” Mnangagwa said.
The matter is yet to be sat down for a hearing. The Constitutional Court ruling is final.
The apex court can uphold the result, declare a new winner or order a fresh election within 60 days or make any other ruling it deems fit.
The court must rule within 14 days of an election challenge being lodged. The days do not include weekends and public holidays according to the court rules.
