PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is not ready to proclaim dates for elections within the next six days to beat the March 31 court deadline.
STAFF REPORTER
He said he would task Justice and Legal Affairs minister Patrick Chinamasa and his lawyers to seek a High Court order to extend the deadline.
State media yesterday reported that he was aware of the March 31 court deadline for him to pronounce date for elections and would follow the law by tasking his lawyers and Chinamasa to do the right thing.
Mugabe was given until next week to come up with an election date after three MDC MPs sued him last year seeking a by-election in three vacant constituencies — namely Nkayi South, Bulilima East and Lupane East.
The constituencies became vacant after legislators Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi South), Njabuliso Mguni (Bulilima) and Norman Mpofu (Lupane East) were expelled from the MDC party led by Welshman Ncube.
“I am fully aware of the High Court order and government lawyers working with (Patrick) Chinamasa, our Justice and Legal Affairs minister will look into that,” Mugabe said.
“I fully respect the laws of the land and any action to be taken will be in accordance with the law.”
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Last year, Judge President Justice George Chiweshe granted an order allowing Mugabe more time to call for elections from the October 1 2012 deadline by the court.
The move created anxiety in the country with many arguing that Mugabe wanted elections on or before March 31 2013.
The veteran leader argued that the inclusive government had financial constraints and that it could not hold by-elections in three Matabeleland constituencies hence the need for the by-elections to be subsumed into general elections.
Mugabe is said to be pushing for elections by June 29 this year, but the MDC formations argue that all reforms recommended in the Global Political Agreement have to be concluded first.
MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti told NewsDay on Thursday that the inclusive government was too broke to fund a rushed election.
“We borrowed $20 million from Old Mutual and another $20 million from NSSA (National Social Security Authority) to fund the referendum and money that should be going to distressed companies.
Companies cannot continue to fund elections,” he said.
“The referendum has given us a $40 million debt and if we are going to borrow a further $300 million, it is crazy and we cannot imprison next year’s social programmes towards this year’s elections.”
