MDC president Nelson Chamisa said the proposal put forward by the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) is difficult to adopt.
Chamisa argued that the proposal runs against the dictates of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which provides for the holding of general elections every 5 years. He said:
A very difficult proposition. This proposition as you can imagine has attracted mixed feelings.
This is because it has significant legal and constitutional implications since our national Constitution provides for regular elections, such a proposition would have to be backed by the people of Zimbabwe through the apposite platforms.
In a statement released in October, the clerics called on Zimbabwe to observe a SABBATH on the holding of elections for a period of seven years to allow for the rebuilding of trust and confidence within the country’s body politic.
ZHOCD’s proposal was however rejected outrightly by President Emmerson Mnangagwa who accused the clerics of siding with Chamisa to rob him of his electoral victory in 2018.