Eddie Cross calls out Chamisa on poll lies

Former MDC Alliance senior official Mr Eddie Cross has called out Mr Nelson Chamisa for lying that he won the July 30 Presidential elections as local authority results - which have remained uncontested - do not corroborate his claims.

Mr Cross, who recently resigned from politics, said the Alliance should concede defeat and move forward.

There is no way a coalition that won less than 30 percent of local council elections, he said on his blog last week, could have won the Presidential elections.

"Firstly, we have held another election: it was more open, democratic and acceptable than any other election I can recall, and I have been a player in all of them since 1980," wrote Mr Cross.

"It was contested, but when you appreciate that the MDC-Alliance won only 570 councillor seats out of nearly 2 000 (28,6 percent), you can understand why I think the MDC-Alliance claim of a Presidential victory with 2,6 million votes as being most unlikely and not credible.

"Not one of these council elections have been challenged - how can they? There were secured under the close scrutiny of the tens of thousands of local government candidates and their election agents - counted very carefully and then concluded at all 210 control centres run by ZEC, with the candidates and their agents signing off on the results, which were then announced at the centres and at the National Control Centre in Harare," he said.

Mr Cross's counsel came as Mr Chamisa yesterday begun "consultative" rallies that are being choreographed to serve as a springboard to launch a campaign to destabilise the country.

Mr Chamisa has already threatened to roll out street protests to "defend the people's vote". On August 24, the Constitutional Court dismissed - with costs - Mr Chamisa's election petition challenging the Presidential election result.

The fact that Mr Chamisa was defeated by more than 300 000 by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mr Cross added, made his claim of electoral fraud untenable.

"That is why the Constitutional Court unanimously decided that Emmerson Mnangagwa was elected as President.

''That is why they said the MDC-Alliance had not proved their case; that is why they even awarded costs - normally a punitive measure…

"Thank goodness he (President Mnangagwa) got enough votes to avoid a runoff - that would have been a disaster for all of us - extending the uncertainty and the very real possibility of undoing all the positive things that were actually achieved in this election."

He said the fact that the international community had accepted the poll outcome left the coalition with little room to manoeuvre. Mr Cross said he was disappointed by Mr Chamisa's decision to spur President Mnangagwa's enjoinder to focus on national peace, stability and development. "I am deeply disappointed that the MDC Alliance seems to have turned its back on these initiatives and instead have continued to make the assertion that this was a 'stolen' election and that Nelson Chamisa is the legitimate President and that they are threatening rolling mass action to enforce this position. Not only is this futile, but it also threatens further violence and instability when what we really need is national unity and an agreement to put our difference aside in a concerted effort to deal with the tough issues that confront us in the next five years.

"If the MDC Alliance would agree to this, then … They would be part of the solution instead of being a problem."

Meanwhile, Mr Chamisa's alleged dictatorial tendencies are understood to be straining the Alliance.

Last week, differences emerged on fielding candidates for presiding officers in the National Assembly and Senate, where Zanu-PF has an overwhelming majority.

There were also grumblings after Mr Chamisa reportedly imposed candidates in last week's mayoral elections in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, among other urban local authorities. Some opposition councillors in Chitungwiza were accused of voting with Zanu-PF and it is understood Mr Chamisa wants to take action against them.