We won’t make same mistake of not having polling agents: Chamisa

By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has admitted that some polling stations had no agents during the last presidential election and vowed that the main opposition would not repeat the same mistake in the upcoming 2023 plebiscite.

Soon after the 2018 election, Chamisa rejected his 51%-44% controversial defeat by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. But the MDC Alliance admitted it did not have data from a fifth of the nearly 11,000 polling stations used in the July 30 election which is attributed to its lack of polling agents.

Addressing mourners at the burial of senior party member the late Gogo Joe, Chamisa said the MDC Alliance had learnt from the recent Zambian election where the United Party for National Development (UPND) won elections despite being the opposition.

He also said that the party would not repeat the same mistake of not having electoral agents.

“When we came from Zambia, we realised that things have changed. We went there to take the wind of change to cross it through Zambezi into Zimbabwe. Wait and see.

“We are not going to repeat the mistakes we made of having polling stations without agents. The issue of having someone to tell us who has won.

“Some are afraid that he may refuse to hand over power. Wait, we have a plan. We are not going to wait for the vote but we are making sure that everyone who is supposed to support the leadership is embraced,” he said.

Party Secretary for Elections, Councillor Ian Makone who addressed the media in Harare on Wednesday afternoon said that with or without reforms, his party would participate in the election. Nehanda Radio