 Voting in Zimbabwe has never inspired confidence given over 3 rigged elections. Despite this 926 candidates will slug it out on March 29. Related Articles
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19 February 2008
By Never Kadungure
A record number of 926 candidates will take part in the March 29 harmonised presidential and parliamentary elections. Up to 730 candidates are standing for the 210 parliamentary seats available while 196 will battle for 60 senate seats.
Out of Harare province's 29 constituencies 134 candidates succesfully filed their nomination papers last week.
Midlands (107), Masvingo (90), Mashonaland East (76), Manicaland (66), Bulawayo (59), Mashonaland Central (57), Mashonaland West (55), Matabeleland South (44) and Matabeleland North (42) betrayed the growth in the appetite for the election.
A record number of independent candidates will be cause for concern especially for the ruling Zanu PF after some of its heavyweights defied the results of the primary elections and registered as candidates using the party name. Finance Minister Samuel Mumbengegwi, Dzikamai Mavhaire and Edison Zvobgo Junior were some of the notable examples.
Zanu PF Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa has already hinted at a re-run of some of the contentious primary election results but analysts dismissed that as a back door attempt at fishing out party members aligned to former finance minister Simba Makoni who broke ranks with the party to run for president.
Meanwhile the Governor for Mashonaland East Ray Kaukonde has moved to distance his province from its reported backing of Makoni. Kaukonde told the state media, 'We do not support Dr Makoni. We are actually surprised that we are being linked to him. We are solidly behind President Mugabe and we will soon launch a vigorous campaign in the province that will see Zanu-PF recording a resounding victory in the election," Kaukonde said.
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