admininsisted that those who were disqualified failed to meet certain requirements set by the party’s election directorate which is accused of bending rules to favour the party’s top brass. MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora confirmed the disqualification.
He said most of those disqualified failed to meet the five-year membership rule. Ironically, Mr Mwonzora said some people who had never been in the MDC-T structures had qualified.
“We cannot avoid disqualifying people especially if we have rules. The mere fact of having rules is that there will be some who will fail to meet those rules,” he said.
“The five-year rule has often been misunderstood because even those members who have not been in the party but with close association with the party will qualify.”
Journalist Geoffrey Nyarota and former Zanu-PF Women’s League political commissar Tracy Mutinhiri have qualified to stand for primary elections though they did not meet the five-year stipulation.
Mr Mwonzora said those disqualified should not think they had been chased from the party.
However, some disgruntled party members argued that the selection process was rigged.
They said they were wrongly disqualified as they met all the requirements set by the party.
“We are left with no option except to stand as independent candidates because the whole selection process was flawed.
“Some of us failed to understand why we were disqualified after submitting curriculum vitaes with all the required material. We lodged a complaint with the election directorate but we failed to get a response,” said one of the disqualified members.
Another prospective candidate from Manicaland said it was amazing that some people who were not party members qualified for the primaries.
“What is disturbing is that we have been loyal to the party since its formation but only to be disqualified as candidates for primary elections. It is really shocking that some people who have not been in the party structures have been smuggled into the fold. This may compromise the party’s performance in the coming harmonised elections,” he said.
Mr Mwonzora however, said they had reviewed all the appeals made by prospective candidates. He said only 30 candidates succeeded. Mr Mwonzora said the party’s organising department was still working on whether it was possible to do verification of electoral collages and voting on the same day.
He said the primaries would be held in constituencies and wards where the party does not have sitting councillors, and Members of Parliament after which they would proceed to the controversial confirmation process.
The confirmation process was widely criticised by party members who viewed it as a way of shielding some party heavy weights from possible humiliation.
Online Reporter