By Paul Nyathi|The country’s biggest opposition party the MDC Alliance has warned buoyant Zimbabwe Electoral Commission ZEC that it can stop the 2018 General election from going ahead as scheduled.

The opposition party said this in a statement responding to ZEC chairperson Priscilla Chigumba’s infamous declaration that nothing except an earthquake would stop the elections from going ahead.

Addressing her inaugural weekly media briefing on Monday, Justice Chigumba said the July 30 harmonised elections could not be stopped for whatever reason, with aggrieved candidates only being able to challenge the outcome of the polls.

“Once the President has proclaimed the election date, there is nothing short of an earthquake which can stop the election, so whether candidates scrutinise the voters’ roll, whether they see any anomalies in it, whatever the anomalies are, whatever legal recourse they have will not stop the election,” she said.

“I want that to be very clear that is the law.”

Chigumba made the dogmatic declaration following the MDC Alliance submissions that the election should not go ahead before some major reforms to the electoral process are implemented.

MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa’s chief election agent James Timba said Zec should apologise to the people of Zimbabwe for election hiccups including the delays in availing the voters roll rather than saying only an earthquake will stop the election.

“We do recognise and respect Zec’s role as a referee in this election, but it is important that Zec understands that other than an earthquake, the players on July 30 can stop the election by refusing to participate in a shame election,” said Timba.

“In addition, outside an earthquake, and the players, the people of Zimbabwe who are tired of these shenanigans can refuse to participate in the said shame election that would have failed to meet the test outlined in our constitution and the enabling electoral act and Zec regulations irrespective of what Zec says.

“Zec’s efforts must, therefore, be directed at assuring the public that it is doing all it can to conduct a free, fair and credible election and be seen to be doing so. That’s their duty period.”

Timba said Chigumba’s utterances were a serious cause for concern.

“With all due respect to the chairperson of Zec, Justice Chigumba, these utterances are not expected from a public officer whose task amongst others is to instil confidence in an electoral process by assuring the nation that preparations for the plebiscite are being done with due care and transparently,” he said.

A record 23 presidential candidates were cleared by Zec last week to contest in the harmonised elections set for July 30.

Analaysts said it would be impossible to stop the elections because of an MDC Alliance boycott, considering the high number of candidates and political parties that are partcipating in the election.