Zimbabwe’s main opposition party has threatened to boycott this month’s elections due to disagreements over ballot papers.
Nelson Chamisa who leads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says there will be no election if there is no agreement on ballot papers.
He wants the agreement reached between the independent election agency and political parties.
What does MDC want?
Chamisa says there must be a deal on how to design, print and store ballot papers.
His party has rejected the papers being printed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
Chamisa told journalists on Wednesday that “We do not and will not accept the current ballot paper that has been printed without our participation”.
“There will be no election, there can’t be an election. Choose what to call it, but there can’t be an election,” he added when asked whether boycotting the poll is an option.
Electoral body’s reaction
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission boss Priscilla Chigumba says her outfit will not succumb to pressure from the opposition.
She said in a statement that only her commission is empowered to deal with the issue of ballot papers. It described the oppositions demands as an attempt to usurp the commissions powers.
The Presidential and parliamentary ballots are being produced by Zimbabwe’s central bank’s printing arm Fidelity Printers.
Elections to go ahead
Zimbabwe will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on July 30. The main contenders are incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75 and 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa.
The elections will be the first without Robert Mugabe’s involvement since 1980 when he led them to gain independence.
Source: Africafeeds.com
