Top lawyer predicts shock Zanu PF defeat
PROMINENT lawyer and former opposition legislator Arnold Tsunga says this year’s general elections are “very unpredictable”, but warned they could tilt against the ruling Zanu PF because of corruption and looting of public resources by the elite.
Tsunga said President Emmerson Mnangagwa should seriously take Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s warning made in late January this year.
Lukashenko warned Mnangagwa that this year’s elections would be tricky.
In an interview with NewsDay yesterday, Tsunga said “grand” corruption by Zanu PF might cost the ruling party votes.
“This year’s elections are very tricky, when the President of Belarus said elections are tricky, President Emmerson Mnangagwa should take the warning seriously. I think that was a sensitive advice and correct,” he said.
“Elections are going to be very unpredictable, especially when the economy is not functioning well and looting of resources by government officials.”
The respected lawyer, who was also once part of the International Commission of Jurists added: “The voters’ mood can change in one week and it is going to be difficult for the ruling party Zanu PF to win this election, money is not circulating well.”
Mnangagwa is set to clash with his erstwhile rival Citizens Coalitions for Change leader Nelson Chamisa, whom he narrowly beat in 2018.
Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa, however, dismissed Tsunga’s assertions as daydreaming.
“These are just imaginations from people who do not know how the revolutionary party works,” Mutsvangwa said.
Meanwhile, European Union (EU) ambassador to Zimbabwe Jobst von Kirchmann recently said the August elections presented a great opportunity for Zimbabwe to clear its arrears.
Speaking during commemorations to mark Europe Day recently, Kirchmann said the elections presented a perfect opportunity for Zimbabwe to show its willingness to clear its debt.
“The upcoming harmonised elections will be a great opportunity to accelerate progress in this process and to trigger more positive changes. I would like to commend all political actors here who regularly advocate for free, fair, peaceful and inclusive elections,” Kirchmann said.
“As the EU, we can only make our small contribution to the electoral process by supporting the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in fulfilling its constitutional mandate, working with civil society, and through an Electoral Observation Mission, as I am confident that it will be invited.”
Kirchmann added: “But this process is not only about dialogue, it also helps to build trust and unity. In our recent discussions, I have noticed a positive change. I feel like we all have a genuine desire to understand each other better, and to succeed together.
“We have stopped talking about each other. We are talking to each other. This is crucial in building trust, and trust will be an essential element in our partnership for succeeding together.”
The fourth structured dialogue meeting on Zimbabwe’s arrears clearance sat yesterday with Mnangagwa, former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano and African Development Bank (AfDB) president Akinwumi Adesina leading the deliberations.
The national debt is currently estimated to be close to US$20 billion which includes resource-backed loans with China and the African Import Export Bank, multilateral partners and domestic lenders.
According to the International Monetary Fund, the country’s debt as a percentage of the gross domestic product is 102,3%, with the fund placing Zimbabwe’s GDP at US$29,93 billion.