Zanu PF politburo okays aspiring candidates for Parliament – Mutsvangwa

The Politburo on Monday green-lighted almost all aspirants vying to run in primary elections for the right to represent ZANU-PF in parliamentary polls scheduled for later this year.

Ahead of the elections, ZANU-PF has opened intra-party contests nationwide by inviting aspiring candidates to submit applications, which has drawn the interest of thousands.

The Politburo, the party’s top organ, met on Monday to vet the applicants, and decided to approve all aspirants except those with criminal records.

It said, by so doing, it wanted the people’s choice to take precedence over other considerations such as seniority and rank in the party.

“Approximately 99.9 percent of the candidates sailed through, because his Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said no one should be left behind for any frivolous reasons, except where the candidate has a criminal record,” the party’s secretary for information and publicity, Christopher Mutsvangwa, said.

In the past, there were allegations the party shielded the powerful in primary elections, thereby – at best – causing voter apathy among its members – at worst – throwing votes to the opposition.

Mutsvangwa said in the upcoming elections, expected around mid-year, ZANU-PF will be going in with candidates that were strictly the people’s choice nationwide.

“The President stresses that the party is bigger than individuals,” he said.

He said the names of those given the green light to run in the primary elections, which are expected shortly, will be announced by President Mnangagwa. New Ziana