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Mudede
dismisses MDC allegations
The Herald
(Zimbabwe)
July 20, 2005
The Registrar
General, Mr Tobaiwa Mudede, has dismissed opposition MDC allegations
that his office tampered with the ballot boxes of the 2002 presidential
election which were delivered from Rushinga to the High Court.
The boxes contained
residue ballots cast during the 2002 presidential election, whose
result the MDC is contesting at the High Court.
A total 1 559
boxes had been delivered to the High Court, but seven from Rushinga
constituency were missing.
"The ballot
boxes for Rushinga constituency were stored in different police
cells at Rushinga Police Station. Due to an administrative oversight
on the part of the acting district registrar, seven ballot boxes
were left behind," Mr Mudede explained.
MDC secretary
for legal affairs Mr David Coltart had said in an article published
in the Daily Mirror on July 14 that the seven boxes were not sealed
when they were delivered.
"The ballot
boxes were delivered under police escort and intact. It is felt
that (Mr) Coltart is blowing things out of proportion, " Mr
Mudede said.
The High Court
had issued an order compelling the Registrar General to make available
the ballots for use in the MDC case. The party is alleging that
the election was rigged.
Its leader Mr
Morgan Tsvangirai lost to President Robert Mugabe by about 400 000
votes.
The residue
ballots have been kept for three years following the MDC's application
to the High Court for their destruction to be delayed.
Ballot papers
can only be kept for a maximum of six months after an election.
Meanwhile, Mr
Mudede said the issuance of new polythene and synthetic cards was
continuing.
He said the
exercise was ongoing in Highfield, Kuwadzana, Chitungwiza and Magaba
in Harare, and Drill Hall and Nkulumane in Bulawayo.
Other issuing
teams, he said, were at district registries in Gwanda, Hwange, Gweru,
Masvingo, Mutare, Marondera, Bindura and Zvimba. - New Ziana.
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