MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti has ordered seven disgruntled party members who registered to contest the forthcoming council elections as independent or parallel candidates to withdraw their candidature at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and pave way for candidates who won the party’s primary elections.
REPORT OBEY MANAYITI
The rebel candidates had filed to stand as independents at Zec alleging electoral irregularities during the party’s primary elections.
In a letter dated July 1 addressed to MDC-T Manicaland chairman Julius Magarangoma Biti said: “Please be advised that the party leadership met on July 1 with you to discuss the errors of commission and omission that occurred on the Nomination Day, 28 of June 2013 in Manicaland, whereby losing candidates in the primary elections for council positions filed their nominations to the exclusion of the winner.
“In this case, such irregularities should be corrected forthwith. Accordingly, the following people should withdraw their nominations from Zec in writing and be substituted in writing by the winning candidates provided those winning candidates had already successfully filed their nomination papers either as parallel or independent candidates.”
Former Mutare mayor Brian James was among those affected by Biti’s directive as he was recalled and replaced by Henry Madzvova in ward 12 of Mutasa South. Others include five candidates from Chipinge Cental among them Cherechedzai Katsvata, Sarah Marwa and Antony Mtetwa.
Ex-deputy mayor George Jerison, who had filed as an independent candidate, bounced back into the ring for Ward 3 of Mutare Central. He joins former town chairperson Solomon Chadamoyo Machingura, who also bounced back to represent the party.
This came hard on the heels of the announcement by the party that those who chose to stand as independent candidates had automatically expelled themselves.
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Contacted for comment yesterday, MDC-T national spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said the seven had been spared suspension.
“There are two categories ofindependent candidates. Those who lost and stood as independents are automatically expelled,” he said.
“Winners in the primary and for one reason or another had their nomination papers not signed are not expelled. These are the people the secretary-general has written to Zec about.”
