Chamisa, Khupe square off

ACTING MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa is keeping his fingers crossed, hoping to be endorsed as the opposition party's presidential candidate when the national council meets tomorrow for candidates' selection ahead of this year's general elections.

Although Chamisa has been widely tipped to land the post after being given the thumbs up by various party organs, he still has to contend with a stiff challenge posed by vice-president, Thokozani Khupe, who is also laying claim to the position in accordance to the party's constitution.

The youthful Chamisa was endorsed as the presidential candidate by leaders from the party's 210 districts last Friday, but was yet to be endorsed by the standing committee which meets today ahead of the national council indaba tomorrow.

Party deputy chairman Morgen Komichi said tomorrow's meeting would put finality to the leadership wrangles, adding all members must attend to give their side of the story.

"We want people to focus on party programmes and candidate selection and everything that has an advantageous outcome to the party and Zimbabwe. We cannot continue to be in a perennial leadership dispute and the national council has that power and mandate to guide us," he said.

Khupe has been absenting herself from meetings over differences regarding the MDC Alliance.
Party deputy spokesperson Thabitha Khumalo weighed in, saying the decision by the districts will receive an endorsement from the national council.

She also divulged that the election directorate met yesterday and their resolutions will be taken to the standing committee and national council.
"When we met with district chairpersons from the 210 districts, it was agreed that they go back to their districts and start candidate selection and it must be done through a consensus," Khumalo said.

"When push comes to shove there will be a primary election but it has to be verified. They were all given two weeks to submit their candidates and tomorrow (today) we have a standing committee and Thursday (tomorrow) we will have a standing council which will receive the deliberations by the decisions."

The election directorate reportedly discussed concerns raised by the provincial chairpersons regarding the distribution of seats in the MDC Alliance.

Meanwhile, ZimPF leader Agrippa Mutambara has thrown his weight behind Chamisa.
Mutambara said Zanu PF and its "decayed" leadership have every reason to be frightened of a unified MDC Alliance led by an energetic young leader.

"Call it the (former US President) Obama factor or the shifting sands in Zimbabwean politics, either way you will be correct," he said.

"The majority of our electorate is comprised of the youths. Who would be best suited to represent this vibrant constituency, ignored and forgotten under successive Zanu PF administrations, but qualified and yearning for recognition None other than the youthful Chamisa, who himself has been a victim of the ineptitude of the past and present administrations and understands the psyche of the lost generation, born and bred under the recycled, aged and corrupt leadership."

He said under Chamisa there would be zero tolerance to corruption, no mysterious disappearances of political opponents, no genocidal extermination of whole tribes, no trampling of the freedoms enshrined in the constitution, and there will be no holy cow as all Zimbabweans will be treated equally.