Zanu-PF is one vote shy of an Extraordinary Congress in
December after four provinces yesterday said they wanted the special indaba.
The other six provinces will hold their executive council
meetings today to determine whether the ruling party should convene an
Extraordinary Congress or a scheduled Annual National People’s Conference.
Section 26 of Zanu-PF’s constitution provides for the
special indaba if five or more of the party’s PECs request one. Congresses are
ordinarily convened every five years and the next one is due in 2019.
While calling for an Extraordinary Congress yesterday,
Mashonaland West, Midlands, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South affirmed their
First Secretary, President Mugabe, as the ruling party’s candidate in next
year’s Presidential election.
This puts paid to private media claims that plans for the
meeting were geared towards effecting a palace coup.
Section 30 of Zanu-PF’s constitution says an “Extraordinary
Session Zanu-PF heads for Special Congress shall deliberate only on those
matters for which it has been specifically convened”. This means other issues
cannot be smuggled in once an Extraordinary Congress is called.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail yesterday, Zanu-PF
National Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo said: “In the last
three months we have been approached as a party by members from various
quarters wondering if we should hold the Extraordinary Congress to prepare for
next year’s harmonised national elections.
“After noting that the requests were numerous, I presented
to Politburo this information and the Politburo, in its wisdom, decided that it
is not the duty of the Politburo to decide on that but that this should come
from the provinces . . .
“Given the Politburo resolution, I then invited to Harare
all provincial chairpersons and provincial political commissars from the 10
provinces and I briefed them on the resolution.
“So we instructed them to go to their provinces and meet as
provincial executives to deliberate on the matter and revert back to me on
Tuesday with their decision stating whether or not they want the special
Congress.”
He went on: “When an Extraordinary Session of Congress is
held, it is held in the nation’s capital, in Harare; we don’t hold Congresses
outside of the capital. This means that if this decision succeeds then we will
be going to Gwanda (for the Conference) at the end of 2018.”
Dr Chombo dismissed claims that the Extraordinary Congress
was targeted at removing certain people from their party positions.
“We are simply going to deliberate on matters that relate
to the election,” he said.
Questioned on the issues that led to the calls for a
Congress, Dr Chombo said: “On account that the last Congress, which ushered us
into this session, was held in 2014, a lot has happened in the party.
“A lot of people were removed due to their alliances with
(former Vice-President Joice) Mujuru and her cabal. But critically, next year’s
election will be the first time that we will be using a new voters’ roll, which
is being worked out using the Biometric Voter Registration system – a totally
new concept, which we did not have in the past.
“And it also means the old voters’ roll has been destroyed
and is no longer valid, so the whole country has to register anew. This coming
year voters’ rolls will be polling station-based and these are all new
developments.
“So, a lot of people were of the opinion that we need an
Extraordinary Congress to look at all these developments and tidy up so that
come 2018, we are all in the know as to what is going to happen and what the
problems we could face are.
“But also the Constitution has also changed and some people
who were ineligible to vote in the past are now eligible to vote because they
were born from parents one of whom was non-Zimbabwean. Now, the (Republic)
Constitution has a provision stating that all those people must be allowed to
vote.
“So, all this has created a situation where others felt it
would be better to have an Extraordinary Session of Congress to deliberate on
these matters.”
At the Mashonaland West PEC, officials endorsed the
Extraordinary Congress and affirmed President Mugabe as the party’s 2018
Presidential candidate.
Dr Chombo said the Mashonaland West Provincial Coordinating
Committee, which met after the PEC, had also endorsed the two resolutions.
In Midlands, party provincial chair Engineer Daniel
Mckenzie Ncube said they wanted an Extraordinary Congress to discuss “Biometric
Voter Registration and the polling station-based voters’ rolls, and reaffirming
President Mugabe’s candidature for the 2018 harmonised elections”.
He added: “As a province we do not have other issues
outside that (to be) discussed.”
Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial chair Cde Dennis Ndlovu said
they had endorsed an Extraordinary Congress; with his Matabeleland South
counterpart, Cde Rabelani Choeni, stating the same.
“As a province we want an Extraordinary Congress. We are
going to submit a report to the headquarters soon and they will let you know of
other details discussed in the meeting,” said Cde Ndlovu.
Zanu-PF Matabeleland North provincial chair Cde Richard
Moyo said: “We are meeting (today), both the provincial executive council and
provincial co-ordinating committee. Just like other provinces, the issue to do
with the Extraordinary Congress will be part of the agenda.”
In Harare, party provincial secretary for information and
publicity Cde Abicia Ushewokunze said the PEC would meet today.
“. . . all I can say for now is that we will be focussing
mainly on voter registration and Special Congress. I cannot answer prematurely
but what I can tell you is that President Mugabe is our sole candidate for 2018
regardless, and that won’t change today, tomorrow and never will it change. We
stand by our resolution at the last conference. He remains our sole candidate
till kingdom come.”
Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chair Cde Ezra Chadzamira said
their PEC and PCC would meet today.
“The PEC will first meet at Victoria Primary School and
make recommendations that will be tabled before the PCC for endorsement,” he
said.
In Manicaland, party provincial chair Dr Samuel Undenge
said: “We are holding our PEC and PCC (today). The PEC will start first
followed by PPC. Our agenda will be centred on voter registration and the issue
of a Special Congress.”
Zanu-PF Mashonaland East PCC member Cde Simbaneuta
Mudarikwa said: “We have been invited for the meetings tomorrow and I am going
to attend.” Sunday Mail
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