Mwonzora pulls out
MDC leader Douglas Mwonzora has pulled out of the 2023 Presidential election race, citing an uneven electoral field.
He contends that this collusion has created an uneven playing field, rendering a genuinely free and fair election impossible. Mwonzora made this announcement during a Press Conference in Harare on a Tuesday morning.
Mwonzora highlighted the disqualification of 87 party candidates during the nomination stage on June 21. He attributed this disqualification to ZEC’s actions, which, in his view, made it unfeasible for his party members to pay their nomination fees. He perceived ZEC’s lack of impartiality and the subsequent court endorsement of their decision as an instance of bias against his party.
“We are denouncing this spectacle. We are rejecting this charade. We are refusing to partake in this presidential election,” he said.
Mwonzora underlined that ZEC declined to accept nomination papers for 87 candidates from his party for the National Assembly, highlighting that even if he were to win the presidency, he would lack control over the parliament.
“The delimitation we contested is now in effect, and its consequences are evident in this election. At present, ZEC is actively altering ward and constituency boundaries. The invalidity of the delimitation is becoming evident as they’ve added more than a thousand polling stations,” Mwonzora explained.
“The widespread disenfranchisement of our citizens, the discriminatory treatment of our party by the election management body, and with my party’s concurrence, I am withdrawing my candidacy from this election. We are refraining from endorsing this spectacle, we are abstaining from participating in this farce, and we are boycotting this presidential election.”
Mwonzora clarified that he would still cast his vote in the election but would not endorse any specific candidate.
