New rules for Zanu-PF primaries

the party’s national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo has said.
In an interview yesterday, Cde Khaya Moyo said the party’s highest decision making board, the Politburo, is set to meet soon to finalise the regulations. He said the move was meant to ensure that the elections were free from candidate imposition.
“The rules have been concluded and the Politburo will meet anytime soon to review them. We want to go through all the rules because we want to have clean primary elections that are free from imposition,” he said.
Cde Khaya Moyo could not divulge the rules that would govern the primary elections but The Herald is reliably informed that top on the regulations is the issue imposition of candidates.
It is understood that the party has resolved that all candidates to represent it in the next general elections should come from the people.
“It was realised that the cancer of imposing candidates cost the party during the 2008 harmonised elections. This time it was agreed that people should be given the opportunity to choose who they want to represent them,” said senior Zanu-PF official.
Last week Zanu-PF national commissar Cde Webster Shamu said primary elections should be held early.
He said this would help to deal with issues of double representation that characterised the 2008 harmonised elections.
In some constituencies such as Makoni West, Zanu-PF was represented by two candidates Cdes Joseph Made and Nation Madongorere leading to a splitting of votes.
Cde Shamu also intimated that aspiring candidates who have been in Parliament before would be judged on their performance.
He said the candidates would be asked to present what they have done for the people during their term of office. The country is set to go to elections later in the year after completion of the constitution-making process currently underway. Copac co-chairperson Cde Paul Mangwana last week said drafting of the new constitution would start some time next week. He said the process would take one month after which a referendum would follow.
Meanwhile Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial political commissar, Cde Tendayi Makunde, said the party is geared for general elections expected later this year.
In an interview on the sidelines of a provincial restructuring exercise in Mutoko recently, Cde Makunde said the party was ready to “trounce” opposition parties in the province.
He, however, called for strengthening of party structures if the party was to triumph resoundingly.
“As the provincial commissariat we feel we are ready for elections. We know we will win the forthcoming general elections.
“We want our party structures to be strengthened from cell level to the top and to make sure our people are on the voters’ roll. We should have structures oiled and polished for us to register a landslide victory,” he said.
Cde Makunde who is Senator for Murehwa called on aspiring party parliamentary candidates to follow party procedures.
“We also call upon those who are interested in contesting primary elections to respect the party procedures. We have told them that primary elections dates are yet to be announced and thus they should not be campaigning.
“We are going to announce when they should start campaigning. We don’t want them to disturb development projects being spearheaded by the sitting MPs,” Cde Makunde said.
He also hailed the support the commissariat department is getting from well-wishers to implement its programmes.
“The commissariat department is also happy with the support we are getting from well-wishers in the province. They are bringing in resources which are making it easy for us to boost the party programmes,” he said.
Mashonaland East provincial chairman Cde Ray Kaukonde and the top provincial leadership have embarked on a massive restructuring in the province to strengthen the party ahead of elections.