CCC-triggered by-elections have been friendly to us – Zanu-PF

ZANU PF has said the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) triggered by-elections have been favourable to the ruling party as political analysts lobby for the legislature to come up with a law that stipulates how an elected MP can be recalled from office.

This emerged during a Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe-organised discussion on the CCC-triggered recalls on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by representatives of main political parties, analysts and journalists.

The country is headed for a second set of by-elections prompted by CCC interim secretary general Mr Sengenzo Tshabangu who recalled councillors and several MPs saying they ceased to be members of the opposition party.

The first by-elections were held in December with the ruling party winning a majority of the seats.

Government has raised concerns over the by-elections, saying they have cost the country US$11 million and cannot be avoided as they are a Constitutional obligation.

Speaking during the event, Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Cde Archbold Chiponda said the ruling party has benefitted from the ongoing recalls by the CCC, while expressing the party’s preparedness for the coming by-elections.

“We are coming from general elections and by-elections and another by-election is coming and we are more than prepared. This is something which as an organisation we are used to. We have a robust machinery, and we have confidence that our candidates will make it through,” he said.

“So far, in Bulawayo, the by-elections have been friendly to us. We have picked up more seats in the by-elections and the number of MPs has increased including council seats.”

Cde Chiponda said by-elections provide an opportunity for the electorate to assess the quality of candidates. Zanu PF won three of the five council National Assembly seats in the December by-elections.

“I find that a by-election allows people to actually analyse a person as a candidate. A situation like this seems to be favourable to us,” he said.

CCC representative Mr Swithern Chirowodza concurred that Zanu PF performs better during by-elections, and alleged that his party faced the challenge of infiltration by the ruling party.

Political analyst Mr Effie Ncube said while recalls have been part of the country’s political discourse, the ones that have been registered since last year are unprecedented.

He said the recalls are costly to the economy and legal mechanisms should be adopted to minimise them.

“What is happening now is that we are having many recalls, which people did not anticipate. We can have by-elections every two to three months until five years, but much money will be used that could be used for certain things?” he quizzed.

Mr Ncube said the country cannot afford to continuously be conducting the recalls as it stifles economic growth.

“What we can do is to come up with a piece of legislation which will detail some of the things that are required, some of the standards that need to be followed in making recalls.

“We need to be very specific on who in the political party is entitled to make the recall,” he said.

Another political analyst Mr Dumisani Ncube said through its structure-less form, CCC short-changed the electorate that had voted for it in last year’s general elections.

“It is incumbent upon the party itself to ring fence itself and sort itself out in such a way that it ring-fences the vote. The person who is being disfranchised beyond the political party is the person who voted that individual into office,” he said.

Mr Ncube said by-elections cannot be avoided as they are a constitutional obligation.

-@nqotshili