News / National
MDC-T's St Mary's primaries fail again
28 May 2018 at 08:00hrs | Views
THE opposition MDC-T has, for the second time in a week, failed to hold primary elections for its candidates in St Mary's constituency, Chitungwiza, as a result of intra-party violence.
The elections were violently disrupted again yesterday after similar clashes on Friday, with one of the aspiring candidates, Hillary Gwata, accusing his rival and sitting legislator Unganai Tarusenga of pushing him out of the race.
MDC-T provincial spokesperson Bernard Mazhindu confirmed the clashes.
"We had a problem in St Mary's, where elections were stopped in all wards because some people wanted the name of their candidate to be there. We urge our supporters to learn that the party reserves the right to appoint or disappoint a party member who forwards their CVs," he said.
Tarusenga declined to comment over the matter, saying the issue was resolved on Saturday and Gwata and the other aspirant, Adam Puzo, were aware of the party's position.
But Gwata insisted that he would contest the primary elections despite attempts to block him.
"I have been campaigning for the past three years, but nobody said I was not eligible. So why now? This in not fair at all," he said.
At the time of going to print, there were unconfirmed reports that Gwata's supporters had been arrested for smashing window panes at Puzo's house.
The elections were violently disrupted again yesterday after similar clashes on Friday, with one of the aspiring candidates, Hillary Gwata, accusing his rival and sitting legislator Unganai Tarusenga of pushing him out of the race.
MDC-T provincial spokesperson Bernard Mazhindu confirmed the clashes.
"We had a problem in St Mary's, where elections were stopped in all wards because some people wanted the name of their candidate to be there. We urge our supporters to learn that the party reserves the right to appoint or disappoint a party member who forwards their CVs," he said.
Tarusenga declined to comment over the matter, saying the issue was resolved on Saturday and Gwata and the other aspirant, Adam Puzo, were aware of the party's position.
But Gwata insisted that he would contest the primary elections despite attempts to block him.
"I have been campaigning for the past three years, but nobody said I was not eligible. So why now? This in not fair at all," he said.
At the time of going to print, there were unconfirmed reports that Gwata's supporters had been arrested for smashing window panes at Puzo's house.
Source - newsday
