The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has announced that its elected members will boycott Parliament and Council business until the legitimacy crisis is resolved.
This announcement comes after the recent recall of 15 parliamentarians from Parliament by Sengezo Tshabangu, claiming to be the CCC interim secretary general while the opposition party has always contested the legitimacy of the August 23 election.
The party has also called on the international community and ZANU-PF members to be involved in the resolution of the crisis.
When CCC protested the “unfair” recall in Parliament on Tuesday, armed police were called in to eject them out from the August House, an act which left some opposition lawmakers with injuries and others with torn clothes.
“We disengage from Parliament and from Council until this issue is resolved and when I say disengaged, we have not said that they have withdrawn. They are disengaged meaning that no business shall be transacted until a remedy and justice is done,” said party leader Nelson Chamisa on Wednesday.
“We are putting on notice to all key stakeholders in the country including civil society, SADC, AU, EU and the international community including the United Nations that we have a constitutional crisis in Zimbabwe and that we have a disputed election.”
Chamisa stated the CCC would conduct a diplomatic political campaign in a peaceful and constitutional manner in accordance with constitutional remedies, noting that the party would pursue a two-pronged strategy of national dialogue through the church and other interlocutors, as well as lobbying SADC to intervene.
“There are remedies in the constitution and we are going to exhaust them. A lot of people are saying, ‘No you are too slow, you are not able to do this,’ no, take it easy. We know what we are doing. We understand the pulse of this nation,” said the CCC leader, emphasising that the opposition party knew its influence and capacity.
“Organising and mobilising is not one of our weaknesses, we have many, but I can tell you (organising) is not one of our weaknesses. We can organise so well that we can even persuade Zanu PF members of this legitimacy issue because poverty knows no political party.”
The CCC leader the action they would embark on was not partisan and to reach even to Zanu PF members.
“In fact any action, peaceful expression of dispondency must not be a partisan one. It must also reach out to Zanu PF. I am extending this invitation to people in Zanu PF to come together, come let us reason together, you are also victims because you must know that poverty does not ask for a political party card. Suffering does not know a party card. We all suffer and we are all suffering. School fees does not ask for a political party card, medical fees never ask for a political party card. we all suffer and for that reason, we must work together for everyone,” Chamisa said.
