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MDC overruns Gweru

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GWERU lodges and hotels are fully booked ahead of the MDC elective congress this week to decide the party’s leadership.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

GWERU lodges and hotels are fully booked ahead of the MDC elective congress this week to decide the party’s leadership.

The City of Progress, as Gweru likes to call itself, will host 6 200 MDC delegates from across the country, who have already elected Nelson Chamisa as party leader — nominated unopposed — for the fifth MDC congress.

The party will start by holding elections of the youth and women’s assembly leadership tomorrow, before Chamisa officially opens proceedings on Saturday.

Elections for the hotly-contested standing committee positions will be held Sunday when congress closes.

“Friday afternoon, we are going to have national elections for youth and women assemblies concurrently. On the same day, we are going to have a national executive meeting,” part of the programme reads.

“On Saturday May 25, 2019, there shall be a congress official opening at Ascot Stadium, where everyone is invited to bear witness on this special, great event, then delegates will be divided into thematic committees. At 2pm, the congress will receive feedback from the thematic committees,” the programme further reads.

Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume confirmed they had snapped up most of the guest rooms in the city.

“We have just ensured that most of our delegates have accommodation as preparations are at an advanced stage. We are ready for our congress,” he said.

Mafume confirmed the programme, saying the elections would be conducted in the most transparent manner.

“Our elections are going to happen on Sunday. They will be a display of how democracy manifests. The main event happens on Saturday, when there will be the official opening of congress by the president,” he said.

The MDC will hold national executive meetings tomorrow to look at proposed constitutional amendments, which will be discussed Saturday.