Chronicle Editor
Zanu-PF launched its campaign at the weekend for the March 26 by-elections.
The launch came about a week after the party conducted free and fair primaries that attracted a massive voter turnout. It also came after the sitting of the nomination court on Thursday.
The opposition, which had candidates successfully filing their papers at the nomination court, is expected to begin campaigning for the by-elections to fill 28 National Assembly and 119 council vacancies. Eighteen seats in the National Assembly became vacant as a result of the recalls by the opposition, one by Zanu-PF. Eight arose after incumbents died while one occurred after an incumbent was assigned to a diplomatic post.
With 12 seats, Harare has the highest number of vacant seats; Midlands Province second with five seats and Mashonaland East province which has three seats. Bulawayo, Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland North provinces have two seats each.
Most of the 119 vacancies in local authorities were as a result of opposition recalls too while others arose due to death of sitting councillors.
Designated by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) as a dry run for the harmonised election to be held next year, the by-elections will attract some interest, not only in the manner they would be organised and run, but also in the manner in which the various parties perform.
Zec should, as usual, run the by-elections as flawlessly as it has done over the years. The body has a huge amount of experience running free and fair elections on a national scale, producing credible results. Because of that, the 28
National Assembly and 119 council by-elections should be easy for them to run. We are confident on that one.
It must be easy for them to put in place all voting materials, personnel and other logistics ahead of polling, be able to count the ballots and release the results on time and in terms of the law. They have done this before, they should be able to do so now.
However, there is nothing wrong in running your machines from time to time, just to get an idea how they are likely to run when the real race begins.
The challenge is on political parties to organise themselves during the campaign and after the results are announced. Their members and candidates must behave, shun violence and just sell themselves to the electorate.
We also urge voters to also behave, vote for their preferred candidates in a peaceful, mature manner.
All political actors are, too, implored to trust Zec to do the good job they have always done and accept the results, even if they aren’t in their favour.
Most of the vacancies in Parliament are in urban areas where the opposition has tended to do better than in rural areas.
However, considering the numerous projects that the Second Republic has rolled out in those areas, the ruling party has a big chance of claiming some urban seats. At the same time, it must retain the rural constituencies – Murewa South, Gokwe Central, Mwenezi East, Tsholotsho South, Chivi South and Mberengwa South.
It can further increase its two thirds parliamentary majority by snatching Kwekwe Central, Mutasa South, Binga North and others from the opposition.
As we have said, we want a peaceful, mature campaign. We also want peace and maturity on polling day and after the results are announced.
The party which has a track record of delivering, the party of liberation and one for the future must continue winning; not an opposition which is best known for internal squabbling for positions and money and, like chameleons, changing colours willy-nilly and not showing any substance.
Online Reporter