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Trust Freddy-Herald Correspondent
THE chasm in democracy could never be more stark — on one hand Zanu PF is holding primary elections to select candidates to stand on a party ticket for the forthcoming harmonised polls while on the other, CCC leader Mr Nelson Chamisa is constituting a shadowy group to handpick his preferred candidates.
It is all cosmetics, an insider in the CCC said, adding that candidates have already been selected and Mr Chamisa’s charade is now all smokes and mirrors.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, CCC deputy spokesperson Mr Gift ‘Ostallos’ Siziba said the same method will be used to select the presidential candidate, itself a fait accompli, for Mr Chamisa has already imposed himself.
“You will see that in our nomination form, we will ask with great respect, Zimbabwean citizens to elect firstly those that they prefer to represent them as a council, when they do so they also nominate again the person whom they prefer to be on the proportional representation of the local authority,” Mr Siziba said.
“From there we move to Parliament and say to fellow citizens, make a choice here in Kuwadzana who is supposed to represent you and go ahead to who should be proportional representatives in Parliament here in Harare province.
“Again we do the same with the Senate, from there we are going to proceed and ask Zimbabweans across the country who do they think should be the representative of triple C as a Presidential candidate.
“The process is affecting every candidate that is going to represent CCC whether as a councillor or a member of Parliament or youth quota level or Presidential.”
He said the selection process is expected to start on April 5 but the identity and autonomy of the board remains a mystery and is shrouded in secrecy.
The decision has already set tongues wagging within the CCC, where others are demanding primary elections in fear of the imposition of candidates.
Insiders believe Mr Chamisa ruled out primary elections apparently to prevent being challenged, despite his earlier announcement that CCC was doing away with them because they weren’t a true reflection of community leadership.
The revelation comes as some aspiring candidates have reportedly already imposed themselves in constituencies. In Norton, Mr Richard Tsvangirai, the son of the late MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai, has since imposed himself and has begun campaigning.
There are also reports that in Warren Park, seven aspiring councillors are already canvassing for support.
Last year, chaos rocked CCC during by-elections after the opposition party fielded double candidates to contest in the local council by-elections.
Online Reporter