Accept poll results, says Speaker

Walter Nyamukondiwa Kariba Bureau
ELECTION candidates who lose court cases should respect court decisions and prepare to battle it out in future polls instead of remaining in denial, Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda has said.

In apparent reference to opposition MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa, who contested the 2018 Presidential election outcome in the Constitutional Court and lost, Adv Mudenda said it was important to accept the result and move on.

“The Constitutional Court had to come in and pronounce itself in favour of George Bush, but once the highest court had pronounced itself, Al Gore and the Democrats had to acquiesce and accede to that decision and wait for the next chance,” he said.

“That chance came which brought in President Obama. So all is not lost in one election, veduwe they would say in Shona, it’s not lost. You can be surprised in the next election or after two attempts, you will be sitting in the seat of government.”

Zimbabwe is working on electoral reforms to lay the foundation for free, fair, credible and transparent elections.

Adv Mudenda said the reform process should be completed in the next two months.

He said Parliament should work to put in place mechanisms that eliminate or reduce contests ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.