By Talent Gondo| Zimbabwe People First (ZimFirst) leader Dr Maxwel Shumba has castigated the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for rejecting his nomination papers to stand for presidency adding that the forthcoming polls are a sham.
Dr Shumba accused the ZEC of rejecting his nomination papers on the grounds that those who nominated him from Manicaland, Mashonaland East and West were not registered voters in the said constituencies.
He however said this was not true arguing that he had evidence that these people were registered hence he would take petition ZEC before taking the elections body to court over the matter.
Below is Dr Shumba’s full statement.
Dear ZimFirsters, Zimbabweans and Observers alike. Today June 14, 2018 my nomination was rejected by ZEC on the grounds that the party members who nominted me from Mashonaland East, Manicaland, and Mashonaland West could not be found in their system (Voters’ Roll).
Please be advised that all ZimFirst nominating members are duly registered voters who have in their possessions the valid ZEC issued VOTING SLIPS . These voting slips will be availed ZEC and the media.
We are appalled and angry that a voters roll which cannot reconcile its data base and voting slips issued from the same system was used to reject our nomination . Worse the Mash East and Mash Central members were in okay at the respective provincial nomination centers.
ZimFirst is not taking this lying down. This is a national issue that touches all democracy living citizens. Zimbabwe cannot go into elections with a voters roll that is in shambles, hence we declare that the Zimbabwe 2018 election is an outright sham and is an attempt to defraud the citizens of Zimbabwe of their human right opportunity to elect leaders of their choice.
ZimFirsters today are mourning and if is this allowed to go unchecked more Zimbabweans will be crying come July 30, 2018. BE WARNED.
We will fight this good fight on behalf of all Zimbabwean people regardless of political affiliation . In this regard: Today July 15, 2018 our party representatives led by my Election Agent will go to ZEC Office in Harare at 1 pm to present our petition and the ZEC issued Voting Slips as evidence that demonstrates why the current ZEC Voters roll is a sham and should not have been used to reject our nomination.
After the ZEC meeting, regardless of outcome , we will hold a Press Conference (details of venue to be supplied tomorrow morning). If we are unsuccessful with our petition tomorrow we will be left with no choice but to take a ZEC to court . We will fight for a fair process. It is our given right.
I therefore, take this moment to ask Zimbabweans and the World at large to keep our members in their prayers as they fight for a fair election and and goal that ZimFirst be treated equally, fairly and our right to be on every ballot box that we met the nomination requirements.