Chamisa wants his challenger to be nominated by people

The MDC Alliance will hold its primary elections on May 24-26, Nelson Chamisa said yesterday - a vote he promises will be free and fair with a democratic and rigorous process where candidates will be nominated by the lower party structures.

Chamisa, who seized power after founding MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai lost his valiant battle against cancer of the colon on February 14 last year, counts on the election to bolster his legitimacy as the party's ambitious secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora expresses his desire to challenge him in a contest that could make or break his political career.

Chamisa told a news conference at the Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House MDC HQ in central Harare that as a democratic party, the MDC-Alliance will not hold back anyone who wishes to challenge him. Chamisa's statement comes as vice president Elias Mudzuri is also being tipped to run for president.

At least 10 top MDC officials, anxious to get started on their quest to capture the VP post, are said to be lining up to launch campaigns in what is quickly becoming a crowded field of vice-presidential contenders. The theme of the congress is "Defining a new course for Zimbabwe".

"We have said this congress is about positions which are going to be availed. In terms of the actual positions to be contested, through an election and some to be appointed, is something to be determined by the national council at our last meeting before the congress and that will guide the course," Chamisa said.

"In terms of our constitution, we are supposed to have the presidium being open to contestation, the chairperson's position as well. There is still debate on the secretary-general's position being open but that is a product of our internal democratic processes. We will be very clear on which positions to be contested at the appropriate time," he said.

"The congress is important because we will have a full team of effective leadership to take over government in a democratic and constitutional manner. It also gives us a chance to have a solid team of people of substance.

"Those there, are faces of substance, but they have to be renewed and this is why I said I will be the first one to congratulate and celebrate the one who is going to emerge out of this glorious act.
"I know they may not have shown their interests because in our party it is not allowed by the constitution to show interest - you are deployed as a cadre.

People choose you to belong to a particular position, you do not just say you want. You have to be wanted by the people. It is a process which is rigorous and very democratic where people are nominated by the lower structures to say who they want."

He said people were free to pick anyone they felt was the right candidate and welcomed any primary challenger.
"Chamisa is not the first born of this party and he's also not the last born. There was Morgan Tsvangirai who groomed me, but he also did the same with a lot of you in the party and we know that this movement will be in safe and capable hands.

We have proved to Zanu-PF that by killing Tsvangirai, they made a mistake," Chamisa said. "The party is going to new levels and we will not collapse. The party is energising and recalibrating.
"We do not want to see tyranny and violence in our structures. Those are qualities we see next door.

We cannot be a carbon copy of Zanu-PF where factionalism is a national religion and corruption is the DNA," the pastor and lawyer said.