Mugabe bans election challenge

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has amended the country’s electoral law to prevent the opposition from pursuing legal challenges to the results of parliamentary elections held in June.

The amendment, which was published in the official government gazette on Friday, said that even if corrupt or illegal practices were committed during the poll, the election of sitting members of parliament cannot be overturned. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was challenging the results in nearly a third of the constituencies contested in the June elections, largely on the grounds of violence and intimidation.
MDC spokesman Learnore Jongwe was quoted as saying that amendment was
“outrageous” and it was an abuse of power by Mugabe. “We are currently
studying the Statutory Instrument and sourcing advice with a view of
challenging the president,” said Jongwe.

During the general elections in June more than 30 people were killed and an estimated 13,000 fled their homes, the vast majority of them opposition supporters. The violence formed the basis of the legal challenge to the results in 38 constituencies by the MDC. Had it won just three of those under review, the opposition would have gained a majority of the elected seats in parliament.