Source: Parly petitioned over UN-supervised 2018 vote – DailyNews Live
DEPUTY CHIEF WRITER 22 July 2017
HARARE – A Harare man – Ignatius Masamba – has petitioned the Parliament
Assembly seeking to compel Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa to move a
motion calling for a referendum to allow the United Nations (UN) to
monitor the 2018 elections.
This comes after the Constitutional Court (Con-Court) dismissed his
application last week, ruling that it did not raise any constitutional
issues.
Masamba said he is “…an indigenous,…Shona citizen of Zimbabwe above 40
years of age and I qualify to compete in the 2018 presidential elections
as a presidential candidate….,” adding that he “…would like to compete
as a presidential candidate under free and fair conditions”.
Chief Justice Luke Malaba told him that the issues he was raising fell
under the purview of the National Assembly and that the Con-Court had no
power to direct the legislature.
This prompted him to write to National Assembly speaker, Jacob Mudenda,
asking him to consider his request.
“The cogent reason for wanting the UN to monitor the general election is a
control against rigging since it shall be a neutral force in the election
process and will not condone biasedly political violence by Zanu PF
towards the election date,” Masamba said.
He said the demand for neutrality is in line with the principles of good
governance.
“In 1980, the UN supervised the general election and despite heavy
newspaper-based propaganda, (Robert) Mugabe won. Is he now afraid of the
UN neutrality himself? Why does he not take the initiative himself? Why
does he not just invite the UN to come and supervise elections, since he
is the one who complains about sanctions, (and) then prove he is the most
popular politician without going to a referendum: an expensive process?”
he said.
Masamba said soldiers and police officers must not oversee the voting
process because they may engage in acts of knavery or dishonesty and
influence the election result.
“So, I petition the Parliament of Zimbabwe to work technically,
competently in order for there to be a referendum using the least cost
alternative if there is any.
“If we cannot go direct to the referendum then let a motion be moved for
debate and have parliamentarians vote and if there is a majority wanting
Zimbabweans to go to a referendum then we shall have the referendum after
the president has proclaimed it,” Masamba, who has presidential ambitions,
said.
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