Politburo to select Zanu PF candidates

Zanu PF has set tough conditions for the selection of the party’s candidates ahead of this year’s crunch elections, with the politburo set to have the final say on who will stand or not on the ruling party’s ticket.

Briefing journalists at the party’s headquarters yesterday after an extraordinary politburo meeting, Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said a national elections commission will be set up that will scrutinise and recommend candidates but did not specify when the process would commence.

“There shall be a Zanu PF elections commission whose members shall be appointed by the president for their skill, experience and probity.

“There will be regulations on how the commission conducts elections in the provinces. All those wishing to contest shall present their names to the province whose role shall be to scrutinise the names and forward them to the politburo.

“All names submitted to the province shall be presented to the commission, including those names the provinces would not have recommended. The final decision shall be taken by the politburo. Nobody shall be left out . . . we don’t want anybody to be blocked until the final decision has been taken by the politburo,” Khaya Moyo said.

Zanu PF has so far come up with party regalia and manifesto ahead of the polls, where more than 100 political parties are running in the parliamentary and presidential elections.

Khaya Moyo said at regional level, provincial directorates will be set in accordance to the ruling party’s constitution.

Khaya Moyo said Mnangagwa will this week head to Matabeleland North for a rally.

“The commissariat is rolling out our party programmes through presidential tours in all provinces. There will be presidential tours to introduce the president to the people in all provinces. The tours are also linked to the economic programmes taking place around the country,” said Khaya Moyo.

This year elections will be the first that will not feature former President Robert Mugabe, who was forced to resign by his party last November and was subsequently replaced by Mnangagwa.

Mnangagwa is set to square off with main opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance and a motley of other presidential candidates representing smaller parties. Daily News