News / National
MDC-T supporters demonstrate over imposition of candidates
08 Apr 2013 at 06:51hrs | Views
SCORES of MDC-T supporters on Saturday picketed their party provincial offices in Mutare demonstrating against the disqualification of aspiring Mutasa South parliamentary candidate Regai Tsunga.
The protesters, among them Mutasa South MDC-T leaders, were demanding answers from the provincial leadership on why Tsunga's nomination was quashed during the selection meeting held in Harare last week.
Mutasa South constituency is currently in the hands of the MDC-T and the incumbent MP Misheck Kagurabadza will go unchallenged in primaries after Tsunga's disqualification by the party National Council.
After the five-hour-long demonstration, the protesters handed over a petition which they wanted presented to party leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and secretary-general Tendai Biti.
Part of the petition reads: "Following reports emanating from the MDC-T meeting in Harare on April 3, 2013 that an effort was made to disqualify our preferred candidate Regai Tsunga from contesting as a Member of Parliament for the Mutasa South constituency, we the MDC-T members from Mutasa South constituency are left with no option, but to express our dismay in the strongest possible way and to reassert our right to choose our own candidate.
"We must state in the strongest terms that imposing a candidate on our constituency poses a grave danger to the party in that it may result in serious divisions and voter apathy.
"It will also seriously prejudice the performance of the party candidate in the main presidential election if an unelectable candidate is imposed on the electorate."
The protesters urged the party to reinstate their preferred candidate.
Manicaland MDC-T chairman Julius Magarangoma said he would take the petition to party national chairman Lovemore Moyo.
"We are going to hand over the petition to the national chairman and he will take necessary steps," he said.
The protesters, among them Mutasa South MDC-T leaders, were demanding answers from the provincial leadership on why Tsunga's nomination was quashed during the selection meeting held in Harare last week.
Mutasa South constituency is currently in the hands of the MDC-T and the incumbent MP Misheck Kagurabadza will go unchallenged in primaries after Tsunga's disqualification by the party National Council.
After the five-hour-long demonstration, the protesters handed over a petition which they wanted presented to party leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and secretary-general Tendai Biti.
Part of the petition reads: "Following reports emanating from the MDC-T meeting in Harare on April 3, 2013 that an effort was made to disqualify our preferred candidate Regai Tsunga from contesting as a Member of Parliament for the Mutasa South constituency, we the MDC-T members from Mutasa South constituency are left with no option, but to express our dismay in the strongest possible way and to reassert our right to choose our own candidate.
"We must state in the strongest terms that imposing a candidate on our constituency poses a grave danger to the party in that it may result in serious divisions and voter apathy.
"It will also seriously prejudice the performance of the party candidate in the main presidential election if an unelectable candidate is imposed on the electorate."
The protesters urged the party to reinstate their preferred candidate.
Manicaland MDC-T chairman Julius Magarangoma said he would take the petition to party national chairman Lovemore Moyo.
"We are going to hand over the petition to the national chairman and he will take necessary steps," he said.
Source - newsday
