Friday 22 June 2018

D DAY FOR REBELS


POLITICAL renegades from both the ruling Zanu PF party and opposition MDC Alliance have until 4pm today to withdraw their candidatures or face sanctions.

Following controversial and disputed primary elections in both Zanu PF and the opposition MDC Alliance, a litany of independent candidates emerged and led to double nominations.

According to a statement from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), candidates who wish to withdraw their names have until end of business today to do so or else their names will appear on the ballot paper.

“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission wishes to advise all candidates who were duly nominated as candidates for the harmonised election of 2018 and who intend to withdraw their candidature to do so in terms of section 49(2) of the Electoral Act by Friday 22, June 2018,” Zec said.

While Zanu PF had sorted the mess it had created in Mazowe North, after Mashonaland Central provincial minister Martin Dinha — who had filed as a party candidate along with Campion Mugweni — withdrew his name on Wednesday, the situation looks dire for the opposition despite an ultimatum from its presidential candidate Nelson
Chamisa.

In Zanu PF, former Mines minister Walter Chidakwa (Zvimba South), Biata Nyamupinga (Goromonzi West) and Zalerah Makari (Epworth) join the list of those who filed papers as independent candidates alleging vote-rigging in party internal polls and the party’s secretary for administration Obert Mpofu indicated early this week that these have automatically expelled themselves.

Others were Darlington Chiwa (Chiredzi West), Pascal Mudzikisi (Masvingo North) and Michael Taderera (Masvingo Urban).

On the other hand, in Chamisa’s MDC Alliance, it emerged yesterday that many of the independents’ nomination papers were reportedly signed by his close
MDC-T lieutenants, leading to double nominations in a number of constituencies.

MDC Alliance national chairman Morgen Komichi also demanded that all independent candidates and those that had been nominated “unprocedurally” walk away from the campaign trail.

Until yesterday, it was unclear if anyone had withdrawn from the race.

Efforts to get a comment from both parties drew blanks. Newsday

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