'Govt was forced into July elections,' says Mnangagwa

The minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Wednesday said government was last year stampeded into holding the July 31 elections following a compelling constitutional court ruling.

The ruling made on May 31 2013 followed an urgent application by a Harare man Jealousy Mawarire, who complained to the court that his constitutional rights to have elections before June 30 had been violated by the failure of President Robert Mugabe and his coalition partners.

Speaking at an ongoing three-day 2013 referendum and harmonised elections review conference in the capital, Mnangagwa said despite the short notice ruling, government did its best to ensure elections were held in a fair, free, credible and transparent manner.

"Looking back at 2013, I am certain that we did our best as government to ensure that the elections were held in a fair, free, credible and transparent manner. The ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is at the core of government in relation to the running of elections in Zimbabwe as the minister administers the Electoral Act. As such the ministry was responsible for facilitating the funding of elections for the Zimbabwe Election Commission (Zec) which deals with the day-to-day running of elections."

He admitted that it was difficult to secure funds for the elections within that short period.

"In order to run the harmonised elections and referendum in a free, fair and transparent manner, funds had to be availed to the election management body, for administration, printing of ballot papers, purchase of voting ink, hiring of vehicles, fuel, transport and subsistence for polling officers as well as purchase of other equipment necessary for use during the elections."

Meanwhile, Mnangagwa also said 24 magistrates have been designated to deal with elections-related malpractices. "Furthermore, in compliance with Section 133J (3), the Judicial Service Commission published General Notice 369 of 2013 in the government gazette, listing names of the Magistrates designated to try cases involving politically motivated violence and intimidation per province.

"A total of 24 magistrates in the country's 10 provinces have been designated to deal with elections-related malpractices. All what I have stated, points to the work that the government put into the pre-elections stage to ensure that elections were held in a free, transparent and credible manner," he said.

Last year elections were held in July and Mugabe's Zanu PF won emphatically. Zimbabwe's next elections are set for 2018.