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MDC picks presidential candidate

Politics
MDC has invited its provincial structures to nominate a presidential candidate for this year’s harmonised elections.

MDC has invited its provincial structures to nominate a presidential candidate for this year’s harmonised elections.

Report by Richard Muponde

According to a recent memorandum dispatched to the provinces by the party’s secretary-general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, nominations for aspiring presidential candidates would be closed on February 28.

Welshman Ncube is the MDC president after having been elected at a congress two years ago and is largely expected to represent the party in elections expected later this year.

But according to the party’s constitution, he does not automatically qualify to contest the elections without endorsement by provincial executives.

“You are hereby advised that Appendix 2 Section 1 of the MDC constitution provides that the presidential candidate should be selected by the party under and in terms of the party constitution which requires that each party province nominates its choice of candidate for the Presidential election,” Misihairabwi- Mushonga said.

“Accordingly, you are hereby requested to cause your province to make its nomination for the party presidential candidate for the 2013 elections and communicate the same to my office no later than February 28 2013.

“Your co-operation in this regard will be greatly appreciated.” Early this month, MDC spokesperson seemed to confirm Ncube’s candidature when he declared that the party would not enter into a coalition with the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC-T to unseat Zanu PF, saying Ncube was their sole candidate.

“The truth will always come out,” Dube said then. “Having been told all along that our party will not achieve anything measurable on a political Richter scale in the next elections coming this year, we are now suddenly bombarded with plea and force to join hands with and ‘assist’ MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai defeat Zanu PF leader President Robert Mugabe.

“The once-discarded Welshman Ncube is now being called all sorts of nice things in enticing him to play ‘maid of honour’ to Tsvangirai. “The big question is why? Why are the selfish now pretending to be selfless?

“Why are they asking for the aid of a teaspoon when they claim to have a shovel with which they will load their wheelbarrow full of votes?

“There is more to this ‘grand plan’ than meets the eye.” In the last elections, MDC backed Simba Makoni after its former leader Arthur Mutambara decided not to challenge Mugabe and Tsvangirai.

Ncube says the party regrets the move as it was not wise.