Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) president Douglas Mwonzora has brushed off party’s Secretary for Programs and Party Business, Norest Marara’s High Court application to stop his uncontested nomination ahead of the movement’s ordinary congress set for 18 December.
Marara recently approached the High Court seeking the reversal of Mwonzora’s nomination citing intimidation and violation of the party’s constitution.
Speaking to journalists at the party headquarters Harvest House on Thursday, Mwonzora said the application was dismissed on the basis that it was not urgent.
“There was a court application by Mr. Marara of course but that court application has been dismissed as being not urgent. Where you have an urgent chamber application and the judge rules that it is not urgent the matter ends there. You can relaunch your application so we are very happy that Mr. Marara took his case to court where the people who are not us presided over it and they have thrown away his application.
“No one was stopped from contesting the election that is why, the awkward nature of Mr. Marara’s application is that he cites Morgan Komichi as a respondent. Morgan Komichi had wanted to contest as well so why is Mr. Marara citing him. Is he saying that Senator Komichi was not intimidated but he was intimidated?
“We don’t intimidate people herein the MDC, I made it clear as the MDC president that my position was up for grabs, I am the only opposition leader who dares do that because I was confident of making it. I was also bound by the values of the MDC other political parties don’t do that. We have political parties who cannot even construct a structure because of the people that they do lead but we agreed that those who wanted to contest the position of President will be allowed nobody was ever blocked from contesting the election at all,” said Mwonzora.
Outgoing party national chairman Morgan Komichi who chaired the nomination process for the December 18 elective congress dismissed allegations of intimidations.
“The word intimidation is a relative term, it depends on the recipient, and however, I was one of the aspirants as well. I managed to chair the meeting, the process went through and we called for nominations names were given, I remember at the position of the president I called five times for any other nomination and there was no other nomination.
“Other candidates were here, they did not find it necessary because what happens sometimes when another person is nominated there is always a response of happiness shown by that group, so definitely when the name was announced for President Mwonzora there was a group of people that showed excitement unless that is now referred as intimidation but I know that I called five times for any other nomination but there was none.” said Komichi.
