Supreme Court poll date challenge set for Wednesday

The urgent chamber application in which Mr Jealousy Mawarire is seeking permission to have his court application to compel President Mugabe to proclaim election dates by June 29 heard on an urgent basis has been set own for hearing on Wednesday.

This was in compliance with the Supreme Court's directive that if Mr Mawarire wanted his court application to be heard on an urgent basis, he should first seek leave to have it treated as an urgent matter.

If that application succeeds, then the main application for the proclamation of poll dates would be entertained urgently.

Mr Mawarire has to justify why his case should be treated with urgency.

Mr Mawarire cited President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, MDC leader Professor Welshman Ncube and the Attorney-General as respondents.

In the main court application Mr Mawarire wants President Mugabe to proclaim the dates by June 29 in line with the fast-approaching expiry of terms of office of local authorities, Parliament and the President.

He argues that if elections delay, Zimbabwe would be running under an illegality without councillors, Parliament and the President.

Mr Mawarire says that he is a registered voter in Zaka East Constituency and that as a citizen of Zimbabwe, he had a legal standing to mount such an application.

Mr Mawarire, a member of the Centre for Election Democracy in Southern Africa, argues that the looming expiry of Parliament had triggered confusion and debate among representatives of political parties and the inclusive Government.

If the election date is not fixed in line with the looming expiry of the terms, Zimbabwe would be plunged into a situation where it would be run illegally.