Leave courts, Tsvangirai told

decisions and leave the courts to freely determine election dates. The Sadc Extraordinary Summit in Maputo, Mozambique, recently upheld the Constitutional Court judgment and urged Government to approach the court to seek a two-week extension of the July 31 poll deadline to accommodate any agreed reforms.

Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who is in charge of the implementation of the Electoral Act, filed the application on behalf of Government but Mr Tsvangirai filed a counter application saying a two-week extension would not be enough.

The Sadc PF team, led by Mr Dumelang Saleshado of Botswana, is in Zimbabwe for preliminary poll readiness assessment.
Speaking to journalists after meeting Mr Tsvangirai at his Harvest House offices, Mr Saleshado said they were not in Zimbabwe to determine election dates.
“We discussed about the election date cases before the Constitutional Court,” he said.

“I think they are the right people to make that decision.

“We are not here to make that determination and decide on the voting day, but at the end of it all we would really like to see Zimbabwe moving towards an election campaign process that is acceptable to all the players and the results that will be accepted by all contestants.”

Sadc PF comprises parliamentarians and seeks to promote peace, democracy, security and stability in the region.
During the meeting, Mr Saleshado said, Mr Tsvangirai, whom he described as one of the important stakeholders in Zimbabwe’s politics, raised issues of media and security reforms if Zimbabwe was hold credible elections.

Mr Saleshado said the Sadc PF mission would meet other stakeholders to get their input on the political situation after which they would meet the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

Speaking after another meeting with Zanu-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo at his offices at the party headquarters, Sadc PF secretary-general Dr Esau Chiviya said they were upbeat that Zimbabwe could conduct its elections set for July 31 in a professional, peaceful, free and fair environment.

“The Sadc PF mission was quite pleased with the manner in which the people, the political parties, the Government as well as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission conducted the constitutional referendum,” he said.

“Indeed, they demonstrated to the whole world they can conduct own electoral processes in a professional, peaceful and tolerant atmosphere as well as in a free and fair environment.”

Mr Chiviya said the successful holding of the constitutional referendum in March was a milestone in the political development of the country.
Cde Khaya Moyo said Zanu-PF primaries were being held in a conducive environment.

“Things are going on extremely well and the turnout is overwhelming across the country and we feel that this enthusiasm of the people means a lot in terms of the forthcoming harmonised elections,” he said.

“It means they are anxious to have elections being held. What is important is the peace prevailing. No incident of any kind anywhere has been reported to us and the police have confirmed everything is so peaceful and we have been preaching the gospel of peace and it appears it has been sinking in our peoples’ minds.”
Cde Khaya Moyo outlined to the observers on the Nomination Court that is set to sit tomorrow and the pending Constitutional Court case to have elections postponed to August 14.

He urged the media to be responsible in covering elections to promote unity and development.