Bittersweet court ruling for UZA
Gift Nyathi
The United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) has bemoaned the delay in having its president, Elisabeth Valerio a presidential candidate.
Valerio won her appeal against the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) decision to reject her presidential nomination papers due to payment issues. She joins a list of 11 male nominees vying for the country’s top job to become the only 2023 female presidential candidate.
However, the Party’s National Spokesperson Elvis Dzvene said the party welcomes the ruling with a heavy heart.
“While UZA welcomes the ruling, we are equally unhappy about the time that we have spent in the courts challenging the unfair and unjust rejection of our nomination by ZEC. Our campaign has already begun, however, not having our President on the ballot was a set back,” said Dzvene in a statement.
He added: “It is important to note that we remained optimistic that justice would be served. We have not been deterred by the difficulties and our candidates nationally are on the ground spreading the UZA ideology to the electorate. As a citizens driven political party we draw our mandate from the people of Zimbabwe. The win in court for our President renews our strength to pick up from where we had left and we carry forward our vibrant election campaign.”
The UZA spokesperson took a swipe at ZEC whom he believes had no legal base to reject Valerio’s papers.
“We welcome the court’s ruling appreciating that justice has been served. It was not right for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to reject our party leader’s nomination papers as there was no legal basis for this. The June 21st decision of the elections body was incorrect considering that President Valerio availed all the relevant documentation to indicate that payment had been effected on time.”
Valerio will battle it out against the big guns, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Nelson Chamisa and Saviour Kasukuwere (whose own candidacy hangs in the balance as he battles a court challenge to remain on the ballot), among other candidates.
