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primary elections has completed its work and the Presidium is now seized with the matter for adoption before dates for primary elections are made public.
The revolutionary party has since announced that it had completed its election manifesto which will be taken to the Politburo for debate before the party’s First Secretary and President, Cde Mugabe, officially launches it.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo yesterday confirmed that the committee chaired by Secretary for Legal Affairs Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa had completed working on the guidelines.
“As you are aware most of the rules and regulations have been adopted but the little work that had been left has now been completed and Cde Mnangagwa was telling us yesterday (Wednesday) that what is left is for them to present the final document to the Presidium before the dates for the primary elections are announced,” he said.
Cde Gumbo said in the meantime it was imperative for party members to concentrate more on mobilisation of people to register as voters, while those who lost their national identification cards should be encouraged to get replacements.
“I therefore urge our members to continue in the coming two weeks mobilising people to register as voters preaching our theme that My Vote is My Voice and My Voice is My Vote,” he said.
The Politburo, Zanu-PF’s top decision making body outside Congress, met last week and adopted most of the rules that will guide the conduct of the elections.
The outstanding issues that remained were the issues of proportional representation in the Senate and the quota system for women.
Some of the guidelines adopted last week are similar to the ones set in 2008 but offer every member a fair chance to stand on the party’s ticket.
However, the rules are flexible as they allow waivers in instances where prospective candidates do not possess the required credentials.
Such waivers would be determined by the National Elections Directorate which would be chaired by party chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo.
Exemptions will be made for civil servants, diplomats and other “deserving candidates of repute that have the requisite qualities’’.
Under the new rules, one has to have been a member of the party for five years to contest for a position in the local government, House of Assembly, Senate and Presidential elections.
Although the rules and guidelines are not yet out, some party officials throughout the country are busying canvassing for support from party supporters.
Meanwhile, the MDC-T has postponed its primaries on two occasions amid reports it wants its primaries to coincide with Zanu-PF’s.
The MDC-T was also still to come up with a manifesto amid reports that it wants to hire some experts from Western countries among them Britain and America to assist it draft one during its national policy conference slated for May 17.
Online Reporter