THE countdown to the July 30 harmonised elections enters
the homestretch today when the Nomination Court sits to accept successful
candidates countrywide. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and several
political parties yesterday expressed their readiness for the exercise set to
run from 10am to 6pm in all provinces.
It, however, remains to be seen how the MDC-T Chamisa and
MDC-T Khupe factions will navigate their wrangle over the party name and
symbols that has spilled into the High Court.
The Chamisa faction, in particular, was yesterday also
reeling from a High Court ruling ordering a primary election in Ward 11 as well
as the announcement by incumbent Harare West legislator MS Jessie Majome that
she would file her papers as an independent.
Ms Majome’s decision follows the turmoil that characterised
the opposition party’s primary elections, with insiders saying more disgruntled
members were set to follow Ms Majome’s path.
“There had been reports that I had been offered a Senate
seat or Proportionate Representative in the National Assembly. It is simply not
true that the MDC-T ever negotiated with me regarding my decision withdrawing
from the sham election. At no point did the party negotiate with me.
‘‘At no point did the party even acknowledge the issues or
that they were addressing the irregularities that led to my withdrawing. That
is if unless that Press conference was the negotiation. I have made a decision
to run as an independent,” said Ms Majome.
“I disagreed with the party because the party’s guidelines
were vandalised . . . right now there were no primary elections that were held
in Harare West in respect for both councillors and Members of Parliament yet
there were contenders.”
On Tuesday, the High Court barred MDC-T candidate for Ward
21 in Mabvuku from contesting on July 30 and ordered that a primary election be
held urgently for the local authority seat.
High Court Judge Justice Clement Phiri ordered the holding
of a primary election in Mabvuku, two days before the sitting of the Nomination
Court, leaving MDC-T without a candidate for the council seat unless they
quickly comply with the order.
Justice Phiri ruled
in favour of an aspiring councillor, Mr Blessing Nhende, who was elbowed out to
allow the imposition of Mr Barnabas Ndira.
The problems in MDC-T have been attributed to cronyism
manifest in imposition of candidates and vote-buying
Sources in MDC-T
said the party leadership panicked about the simmering tension and centralised
the signing of nomination papers as it was being done only by the party’s
national chairperson Mr Morgan Komichi and secretary-general Mr Douglas
Mwonzora.
The two were still signing papers by late last night,
sources said.
The party also moved
in to pacify women’s assembly chairperson, Mrs Lynette Karenyi who was elbowed
out by Mr Prosper Mutseyami during primary elections characterised by violence
a fortnight ago.
Mrs Karenyi will now stand as a Proportionate
Representative candidate while Collins, brother to the late party leader, Mr
Morgan Tsvangirai failed to make it as a Senator as the party wanted to
accommodate Mr Mwonzora.
Some of the MDC-Alliance candidates facing facing rejection
from MDC-T include former Energy and Power Development deputy Minister and
ZimPF member Munacho Mutezo (Chimanimani West) as they prefer local businessman
Mr Canaan Matiashe.
Others include nomadic politician Mr Kudakwashe Bhasikiti
(Mwenezi East) and that tension saw the resignation of provincial chairperson
for Masvingo, Mr James Gumbi.
In Harare, supporters in Glen View South have petitioned Mr
Chamisa over the imposition of Mr Tsvangirai’s daughter Vimbai, as the constituency’s
representative.
In Kuwadzana East the party has imposed Mr Mr Chamisa’s
friend, Mr Chalton Hwende, who was being challenged by youth activist Mr
Shakespeare Mukoyi.
Meanwhile, ZEC said they were ready for the sitting of the
courts.
“ZEC is prepared for the sitting of the nomination courts
set for tomorrow (today) and is finalising its logistical arrangements,” ZEC
said in a statement yesterday.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu said
the ruling party was prepared for the sitting of the courts.
“We are very ready, the provinces have been processing
nomination papers for all the candidates and this follows our statement
yesterday (Tuesday).
“The provinces have been assisting candidates fill up the
nomination papers to ensure a smooth flow and avoid unnecessary delays
tomorrow,” Cde Mpofu said.
The MDC Thokozani Khupe camp said its candidates were busy
with their papers countrywide.
“We are very ready and our candidates spent the whole day
at the various nomination venues countrywide filling their papers so I can say
we are good to go.
“We also lodged the papers of our presidential candidate Dr
Khupe and as a party I want to say we will contest all the seats from local
authorities, national assembly, provincial councils and Senate,” the party’s
deputy president Mr Obert Gutu said.
The fringe Zimbabwe
Development Party and the Voice of the People have pulled out of the elections
alleging they would not be free and fair.
The two parties are led by Mr Kisinoti Mukwazhe (ZDP) and
Moreprecision Muzadzi (VOP).
They recently lost
their case at the Constitutional Court after they sought to be funded under the
Political Parties (Finance) Act despite not having attained the threshold to
qualify for funding in the last election. Herald
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