WASHINGTON - Former cabinet minister and independent presidential candidate, Saviour Kasukuwere, says he will file an urgent application in the Constitutional Court seeking an order to overturn a ruling by the Supreme Court that he is ineligible to participate in this year’s poll.
His representative, Jacqueline Sande, told journalists in Harare today that the exiled politician, who was barred by the High Court from contesting the poll and appealed against the decision in the Supreme Court, hopes that the Constitutional Court will rule in his favor.
In delivering their judgement today, Supreme Court judges Antonia Guvava, Chinembiri Bhunu and Felistus Chatukuta ruled that Kasukuwere’s appeal lacked merit.
The court ruling read in part, “We carefully considered the evidence and oral submissions by both counsels. Court is of view the appeal lacks merit. Appeal be and is hereby dismissed.”
The High Court ruled a few weeks ago that Kasukuwere cannot participate in presidential election as he was no longer living in the country.
Kasukuwere is in self-exile in South Africa where he fled following a defacto military coup which toppled the then President Robert Mugabe in 2017.
The army targeted him and several other so-called "criminals", who were said to be surrounding Mugabe and attempting to choose his successor. His house in Harare was invaded by the army, forcing him to flee, together with then Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo.
Kasukuwere, Moyo and other Zanu PF activists were at that time linked to the Generation 40 faction of the party, which sidelined then sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa from Mugabe's succession line.
Mnangagwa bounced back and became the southern African nation's president after Mugabe was toppled in the bloodless coup.
Meanwhile, the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change led by Nelson Chamisa has filed an urgent application in the Supreme Court seeking the setting aside of a High Court order barring 12 party members from contesting the August 23 parliamentary election in Bulawayo.
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