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MDC MPs, councillors who ‘abandon’ voters face axe

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MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has threatened to fire party legislators and councillors who he says have abandoned their constituencies.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has threatened to fire party legislators and councillors who he says have abandoned their constituencies.

Speaking at Sakubva Beit Hall, in Mutare on Saturday, where he met Manicaland’s provincial district structures, Chamisa said there would be no imposition of candidates in future elections.

Chamisa said he was going to introduce a new criteria of choosing candidates, which will start from branch level, seeking opinion of traditional leaders on upright candidates who should serve constituencies.

“We are strengthening our rural constituencies, this is where we are going to spend most of our time, we need to work very hard on our rural constituencies,” he said “We are having challenges with our MPs; they are not going to the people, we received reports that our MPs and councillors have abandoned their constituencies since they were voted into power in 2018, we are warning to recall them if they continue to do so,” he said

“We are aware that some MPs and councillors are taking their positions as jobs. We are not employment agents and we are not there to offer jobs, don’t expect to be employed or expect to be deployed by the party,” he said

“So I am warning you that if you MPs and councillors continue not to engage your people we are going to take your positions,” he said

“The MDC is the leading party and Zanu PF is the ruling party, and MDC is bigger that Zanu PF,” Chamisa said, adding that he wants to bring all the party’s veterans into the mainstream politics.

He also added that he wanted the army on the negotiating table.

“We want to bring out all our veterans into the mainstream of our politics, they have played a critical role since the formation of our party almost 20 years ago,” he said.

“As a party we have said no to government of national unity we need a transitional authority; there we can arrange for a credible election. We also want to bring the army on the negotiation table because Zanu PF has been using the soldiers, so we would want to know what the soldiers want,” he said.

“We want the army to serve the people and not to serve a party, that is all we want,” he added.