The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, has rejected the outcome of the 2023 general elections and called for a new vote. The party claims the elections were marred by irregularities, fraud and voter suppression.
The CCC Deputy Spokesperson, Ostalos Siziva told a press conference on Tuesday that his party is aggrieved by the intimidation of voters and polling agents, and delays in the delivery of voting materials in urban areas where the CCC enjoys strong support. He said that these anomalies had compromised the credibility and legitimacy of the elections.
“We are calling on the African Union and SADC to intervene and facilitate a return to legitimacy in Zimbabwe. We are not accepting this sham election. We want a fresh election that is free, fair and credible,” Siziva said.
However, the CCC has disputed these figures, saying that they do not reflect the people’s will. The party said that it had its own parallel vote tabulation system, which showed that Chamisa had won the presidential election.
The CCC also accused ZEC of being biased and partisan in favour of ZANU-PF. The party said that ZEC had failed to provide a verified voters’ roll before the election and refused to allow an independent audit of the ballot papers
However, the CCC could not be drawn to comment on whether they will be challenging the election results in court and mobilize its supporters to protest peacefully against what it calls a “stolen election”. The party has also appealed to the international community to condemn the electoral fraud and support its call for a new vote.
ZANU-PF has dismissed the CCC’s allegations as baseless and sour grapes.
On Monday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa urged the opposition party to exhaust all challenges possible if they are aggrieved.
The 2023 general elections were seen as a crucial test for Zimbabwe’s democracy and stability, following the ouster of long-time ruler Robert Mugabe in a military coup in 2017. The elections were also meant to end Zimbabwe’s international isolation and attract foreign investment to revive its battered economy.
However, the post-election dispute has cast a shadow over Zimbabwe’s prospects for peace and prosperity and raised fears of a repeat of the 2008 violence that left more than 200 people dead after a disputed presidential run-off between Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, Chamisa’s predecessor as CCC leader.
