By A Correspondent- The holding by-elections barely a year to the 2023 harmonised polls would be a waste of time and resources, ZANU PF acting national commissar Patrick Chinamasa has said.
His remarks come after President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced on Wednesday that by-elections would now be held early next year.
However, Chinamasa claimed that while ZANU PF would take the opportunity to “wallop” opposition parties, the exercise would be an unnecessary drain on national resources. He said:
ZANU PF wishes it to be known loud and clear that it is ready to wallop opposition parties by whatever name called and will take no prisoners.
But it must be put on record that the by-elections, when promulgated will take place with barely a year to go before the 2023 harmonised elections, a complete waste of taxpayers’ money.
Notwithstanding, it is, however, Zanu PF’s primary revolutionary duty to politically bury counter-revolutionary, anti-people sanctions seeking, political sellout outfits masquerading as democratic change-makers and this duty has to be performed anytime anywhere.
Meanwhile, the MDC Alliance said the by-elections were likely to produce a disputed outcome if held before the implementation of electoral reforms. She said:
The consistent position that has been taken by the MDC Alliance is that any proclamation for elections must be accompanied by a clear reform roadmap that paves the way for an undisputed election.
To set an election date without addressing the vexed electoral reform question is to put the cart before the horse. The need for reforms is non-negotiable.
MDC-T spokesperson Witness Dube said elections without reforms would produce a disputed outcome. Said, Dube:
We are comfortable with elections coming. We were ready for elections when we made the recalls, however, it must always be known that we believe we need electoral reforms before any elections can take place.
There is enough time to effect those reforms so that we don’t have a broken record whereby after every election there is always the question of legitimacy hanging over our political horizon.
The recall of 133 MDC Alliance MPs and councillors, and the death of several legislators have necessitated the holding of by-elections.