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Chamisa’s Headache: To Attend or Not to Attend Parliament Swearing-In Ceremony?

Daniel Chigundu
By Daniel Chigundu
Chamisa's Headache: To Attend or Not to Attend Parliament Swearing-In Ceremony?
Chamisa's Headache: To Attend or Not to Attend Parliament Swearing-In Ceremony?

Chamisa’s Headache: To Attend or Not to Attend Parliament Swearing-In Ceremony?

The swearing-in ceremony for the 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe presents yet another headache for Citizens Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa.

According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), Chamisa came second in the 2023 Presidential elections, against President Emmerson Mnangagwa who took oath of office on Monday (4 September 2023).

Chamisa, like in 2018 has so far rejected the poll outcome, arguing that there were a lot of irregularities and also that he won the poll. He is demanding fresh polls.

The Citizens Coalition for Change leader who is employing strategic ambiguity did not challenge the election result in the court, despite all the observers urging him to exhaust all local remedies before venturing outside.

Chamisa is now facing a dilemma over whether or not to allow his recently elected legislators attend the swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected Parliament of Zimbabwe.

Citizens Coalition for Change got a cumulative 103 seats in the National Assembly (including the women’s quota and the youth quota).

Allowing his MPs to attend is arguably a huge decision that can also be interpreted as legitimising the outcome of the 2023 general elections which he is disputing, because he cannot accept results for MPs and councillors on one hand and reject the results for the President on the other.

However, another school of thought is of the view that he should allow his legislators to attend and get sworn-in because they will be important in driving the reforms that he is demanding before the fresh polls.

In the previous Parliament (9th), then MDC Alliance legislators took oath of office, but would boycott President Emmerson Mnangagwa when he came to Parliament.

This resulted in them being denied sitting allowance by the Speaker of th National Assembly Jacob Mudenda.

It is not yet clear what will happen, as the CCC has been mum over its strategies for fear of being countered by Zanu PF, which is now working with FAZ.

Chamisa’s Headache: To Attend or Not to Attend Parliament Swearing-In Ceremony?

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