Zanu-PF central committee meets over primaries

The central committee will today hold a crunch meeting for its first gathering in 2013 after its meeting slated for March was postponed amid mounting tensions triggered by factional fights raging in the provinces.

Yesterday, the Zanu-PF Politburo was by last night still locked in a crunch meeting on rules and regulations to guide the party's primary elections ahead of the impending harmonised elections.

The rules are expected to stipulate who qualifies to represent the party in the forthcoming local government, House of Assembly, Senate and Presidential elections.

The meetings come at a time as pressure mounts on Zanu-PF's top leaders to finalise primary elections guidelines postponed since February and also quell renewed infighting ahead of crucial general elections.

Politburo insiders say the proposed rules and guidelines for primaries were delayed because of the constitution-making process and also that they were not favourable to the factional designs of sitting bigwig MPs facing ouster by ambitious "Young Turks" pushing to replace them.

A Zanu-PF official said the politburo wants to ensure the party is protected against infiltration by "mischief-makers" who believe in bhora musango (sabotage), hence the need to have clear guidelines, a code of conduct and strict vetting.

Aspiring candidates have accused the party's old guard of deliberately delaying the vetting process to deny them time to campaign. Zanu-PF has banned aspiring MPs and senators from campaigning until dates for primary elections are set.

The issue of primary elections rules and regulations has been on the agenda since October last year when the politburo rejected political commissar Webster Shamu's proposal for them to be held in November after the Copac Second All-Stakeholders' Conference on the new constitution.

The Zanu-PF politburo's failure to conclude the primaries guidelines in April was said to have been fuelling internal political tensions over the issue as ambitious young aspirants are itching to secure tickets to stand in the general elections to be held between June 29 and October 29.

Zanu-PF insiders say problems bedevilling Manicaland and Bulawayo provinces will also take centre stage as the party frantically tries to combat factionalism. In Manicaland, Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa is pushing to oust provincial chairperson Mike Madiro who is reportedly in the camp led by Mnangagwa. Mutasa is said to be in Mujuru's camp in the race to succeed Mugabe.