Zimbabwe Speaker wins election case

HARARE, Tuesday

Zimbabwe’s High Court has dismissed a challenge on the election of the country’s first opposition Speaker of Parliament by a close ally of President Robert Mugabe.

Former Information and Publicity Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo wanted the election of Mr Lovemore Moyo, the chairman of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Prime Minister set aside because he claimed the poll was manipulated.

High Court Judge Justice Bharat Patel ruled today that although some MDC MPs were forced to show their ballots to other legislators, the actual voting was done in secret.

‘The applicants have failed to establish any justification, either as regards the general conduct of the impugned election or with respect to the secrecy of the of the votes cast or otherwise for setting aside or nullifying the election of the Speaker of the House of Assembly.

“It is clear that all members marked their ballot papers in secrecy and none were coerced to vote for any candidate,” he said.” The application is therefore dismissed with costs.”

Mr Moyo became the first Speaker from outside Zanu PF in 2008 after President Mugabe’s party lost its parliamentary majority it had enjoyed since independence in 1980. Mr Tsvangirai’s MDC won most of the parliamentary seats in an election that resulted in a hung parliament.

The presidential vote failed to produce an outright winner after Mr Tsvangirai led in the first round.

But he pulled out of the June 27, run off election with Mr Mugabe citing violence against his supporters.