By A Correspondent| The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has boycotted the official opening of the first session of the tenth parliament, a historic event that is taking place today.

The ceremony, presided over by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, will set the stage for the legislative agenda in the House of Assembly.

CCC spokesperson, Promise Mkhwananzi, explained the boycott by stating, “We are boycotting the processes that Mnangagwa wants us to undertake tomorrow on the basis of the fact that we as CCC do not recognize an election that put him there.”

Mkhwananzi expressed their discontent with the election process, stating, “The election was a shame, it did not go well. It fell abysmally short of the expected standards of a free and fair election in terms of the laws of Zimbabwe as well as in terms of SADC and AU protocols on free and fair elections.”

The CCC’s decision to abstain from the event is a symbolic gesture, aimed at emphasizing their demand for a legitimate and transparent electoral process in Zimbabwe under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Zanu PF Central Committee member, Joseph Tshuma, criticized the CCC, accusing them of taking Zimbabweans for granted.

Tshuma questioned the rationale behind the CCC’s decision to boycott the official opening ceremony while still maintaining representation in the House of Assembly.

The opposition CCC has consistently claimed that the August 23 harmonized elections were rigged in favor of Zanu PF.

These claims were echoed by regional and international bodies such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), African Union (AU), and European Union (EU), which concurred that the polls had not met the expected regional and international standards for free and fair elections.