Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has said that domestic remedies are not adequate to resolve the political crisis facing Zimbabwe following the disputed 2023 presidential election.
The plebiscite held on the 23rd and 24th of August was, according to observers, marred by irregularities. Incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa emerged as a winner with 52,6% votes against Chamisa’s 44%.
The opposition refused to endorse the outcome accusing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of rigging in favour of the Zanu-PF leader.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) in its final report last week concluded that some aspects of the election fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
After refusing to endorse the election results, Chamisa called for a fresh plebiscite supervised by SADC.
But the regional body urged the disputing parties to seek domestic legal remedies.
But Chamisa believes that the local institutions are not capable of resolving the matter on their own.
“The SADC Final Report on Zimbabwe’s harmonised Elections is a powerful affirmation of the consensus that exists among the majority of Zimbabweans (both rural and urban) that the conduct of the August 23 Elections flagrantly violated the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Electoral Laws and SADC Guidelines and Principles on Elections,” Chamisa said.
“As the Report itself notes in its Recommendations and other sections, there are still outstanding recommendations from 2018 on the lack of impartiality of the key institutions.
“In addition to this, the Report itself highlights a litany of very serious and brazen breaches which result in SEOM concluding that the Elections fell short of the standards highlighted above.
“Given the above developments, based on the Report’s own findings, domestic remedies cannot be a credible response and are therefore clearly inadequate and incapable of resolving this long standing national crisis.”
The opposition leader added that, together with his supporters, they will continue to fight for “a just, stable, peaceful, prosperous and democratic Zimbabwe.”
“For those reasons, the citizens of Zimbabwe will not rest until a permanent solution and lasting political settlement has been found to address all their long standing political grievances, pursuant to achieving a just, stable, peaceful, prosperous and democratic Zimbabwe.
“No amount of bare denials, deflections, use of proxies, diversionary tactics, subterfuge and political side shows will take our eyes off the ball. Citizens are entitled to be led by a government which truly reflects the will of the people having been chosen in a free, fair and credible election.
“Our resolve is not shaken. Our will can not be broken. The citizens will not be silenced. Our struggle is just and legitimate. It is a citizens project, a people’s struggle for majority rule,” Chamisa said.