…no candidates names released one week before nomination court sits
Brighton Chiseva
MASVINGO –Confusion seems to be reigning supreme in the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidates selection process as they are yet to release the candidates list only a week before Nomination Court sits. Party deputy spokesperson Ostallos Siziba told TellZim in an interview that the candidate selection process will be over soon after which the party will announce its candidates.
Though he could not give a specific date, Siziba said party supporters should not worry as the party was on top of the situation trying to bring the best out of the process.
People have been accusing the party of delaying the process, a development that could be detrimental to the candidates who would have no enough time to campaign especially in rural areas where Zanu PF dominates the voter base.
“The process is almost done, we will announce the list of candidates soon, our members should not be worried at all,” said Siziba
In Masvingo Urban and Chiredzi Town, aspiring councilors are holding their breath as their fate is going to be sealed by the party supporters on Saturday (09 June 2023).
The elections will be held through the traditional Bereka Mwana method where party members will stand behind their preferred candidate and the presiding officers will manually count the people and the one with more people will become the winner.
Sources however said winning the vote will not automatically mean candidate wins the chance to represent the party as other nomination stages will be taken into consideration.
“Nominated candidates will have to go through another stage where people are going to be elected by party supporters. They will present their manifestos to the electorate before the election. After that they will then be ranked and the top three will go to the next which is probably the final stage,” said the source.
Party insiders however said a number of candidates were preparing to go it the Zanu PF way of bussing supporters from other wards or even rural areas to vote for them.
“A number of candidates are preparing to bus supporters from different wards and rural areas to beef up their numbers ahead of the watershed election which will be held a day after President Emerson Mnangagwa’s visit to Masvingo,” said the insider.
He said the move was a ploy to oust CCC sitting councilors who are said to have lost favor from party president Nelson Chamisa who seems to have the keys as to who will represent the party in the upcoming elections.
Chamisa openly said he is going to sign the nomination papers for the candidates to avoid double candidates as he no longer trust his lieutenants who in March 2022 signed for two candidates in ward 4 by elections.
On Sunday CCC all nominated aspiring candidates will bring their papers to the cluster center where they will be taken to the independent commission which will determine who among the three top candidates is most suitable, taking into consideration scores from the four vetting stages.
“All nominated aspiring candidates are to gather at the District Cluster centre on Sunday, 11 June at 10 am sharp.
“Each Nominee should bring particulars that are required by ZEC at the nomination court. Even where more than one persons are vying for the same position they must all bring their particulars on the day,” read part of the statement that came from the election bureau.
The statement also gave the age limits for each category with the minimum age for MPs and Councillors being 21 while for senators has been set at 40 years and above.
