PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has ordered the ruling Zanu PF to start preparing for next year’s harmonised elections now, an indication the party could be plotting going for early elections.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
Party secretary for administration, Ignatius Chombo told journalists after a politburo meeting last night that Mugabe urged the party to unite and start working now.
“The President said preparations for next year’s harmonised election should start now in earnest with party unity and organising people to register to vote,” he said.
Chombo said Mugabe urged party leaders to start educating supporters on biometric voter registration and polling station based voting.
He said the party’s political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere reported on the Chiwundura by-election victory and an Afrobarometer report that Zanu PF will romp to victory if elections are held now.
This comes amid fears by the opposition MDC-T that Zanu PF wants polls as early as March without implementing electoral reforms.
MDC-T vice president, Nelson Chamisa raised fears over the weekend that the ruling party wanted to bulldoze its way into an early election without reforms and threatened that his party will not participate in such polls.
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Chombo said the politburo agreed to chuck out Justice Zvandasara, who had imposed himself as Harare provincial chairperson and retain Charles Tavengwa, in an effort to restore order and discipline in the party.
Kasukuwere survived to fight another day, with Chombo saying the presidium was still looking into the matter.
“The presidium is looking into the matter and once they are done they will let us know,” Chombo said.
He said the President was happy with the maize bumper harvest recorded in the 2016/17 agricultural season and urged people to consider selling excess to other countries. “He said it was a well-planned rainy season and that maize silos should be ready,” Chombo said.
“He said the government may need to sell excess to other countries and that people should prepare for the 2017/18 season.”
