By Takudzwa Changadeya
MDC leader, Douglas Mwonzora, has filed a Constitutional Court application seeking the postponement of the upcoming harmonized elections.
Mwonzora is arguing that the delimitation report prepared by Zimbabwe Election Comission (ZEC) and gazetted by President Emmerson Mnangagwa does not comply with the constitution of Zimbabwe.
The Constitutional Court application letter seen by this publication reads:
“Applicants seek leave for direct access to the constitutional court in an application they seek a declaratur to declare the delimitation report prepared by first respondent and gazette by second respondent on 20 February 2023, null and void on grounds that it does not comply with the requirements of S161 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” partly reads the letter.
Mwonzora is asking the electoral body to redo all the delimitation exercises in line with the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
“Consequential relief for the first respondent to conduct a proper delimitation exercise and produce a delimitation report that conforms to the requirements of S161 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” partly reads the letter.
In his court application, Mwonzora cited Zimbawe Electoral Commission (ZEC), President Emmerson Mnangwa, Minister Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the Attorney General of Zimbabwe as the respondents.
On the 20th of February 2023, Mnangagwa gazetted the constituency Delimitation Report by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), setting the stage for crunch elections to be conducted later this year.
In an extraordinary government gazette of Monday February 20, 2023, Mnangagwa declared;
“Now, therefore, under and by the virtue of the powers invested in the President, l do by this my Proclamation declare the names and boundaries of the wards and he House of Assembly and Senatorial Constituencies as finally determined by the Commission, which names boundaries are set out in the schedule to this Proclamation, to the wards and National Assembly and the Senatorial Constituencies of Zimbabwe for the purposes of the forthcoming and any subsequent general election.”
Carried out once every ten years and following a census, Delimitation is the process of dividing the country into constituencies and wards.
This is done for purposes of elections to constituency seats in the National Assembly and of councillors to local authorities.
The process is carried out in terms of sections 160 and 161 of the new Constitution.
