ZANU PF sets by-election candidate vetting deadline

by | Jul 5, 2021 | Politics | 0 comments

Hosia Mviringi

ZANU PF has tentatively set July 16, 2021, as the deadline for Provinces to receive and submit Curricula Vitae for by-elections to fill all vacant National Assembly and Local Government seats countrywide.

The seats were left vacant through death and recalls in the warring opposition.

In a circular to Party Provincial leadership, the Party’s Acting National Political Commissar Cde Patrick Chinamasa directed all Provincial Electoral Directorates to immediately start receiving the CVs, make recommendations on each candidate before onward transmission to the Commissariat Department at the revolutionary Party Headquarters in Harare for vetting and approval.

“Please note that Provincial Elections Directorates do not have the mandate to disqualify and aspiring candidate and that no Primary elections should be held either for National Assembly or Local Government seats without authorisation from the National Secretary for Commissariat,” stated Cde Chinamasa in the circular.

Cde Chinamasa advised Provinces to wait for a signal from the party’s Commissariat as and when a date for Primaries has been set.

The party Commissariat will be responsible for setting the dates Primaries in consultation with the National Taskforce on Covid-19 response on the safety of holding the internal elections.

The country has gone for a long period without having a chance to fill vacant elected posts due to the inherent risks caused by the ever-mutating Covid-19 pandemic.

Many countries have deferred elections for over a year now for fear of creating super spreader activities as rallies are usually characterised by huge gatherings.

The advent of Covid-19 has encouraged a change of tactics in many facets of life including the conduct of elections where campaigns have now taken a one on one format to avoid gatherings.

Many communication mediums have been adopted as a way to spread messages and canvass support.
Meanwhile, the revolutionary party Commissariat Department is yet to release the guidelines which will set modalities for the conducting of the primary elections.