News / National
Zanu-PF headed for renewed turbulence over new polls
10 Oct 2014 at 08:26hrs | Views
ZANU-PF is headed for renewed turbulence ahead of central committee elections next month which are expected to be stormy at a time when factionalism bedevilling the party has exploded into the public domain in a major way with senior party officials openly clashing and exchanging crude insults.
Sources in Zanu-PF said preparations are well underway as the provinces are strategically positioning their candidates for the central committee elections.
According to the Zanu-PF constitution, the central committee is the principal organ of the party and consists of 245 members drawn from the party's 10 provinces. It acts on behalf of congress when it is not in session and among other things implements all policies, resolutions, directives, decisions and programmes enunciated by congress.
The Youth League provides 17 members to the central committee with the Women's League contributing the same number.
President Robert Mugabe appoints 10 members while 50 are drawn from the women's quarter. The remaining members are elected from the provinces in a way and manner that each province shall have a proportionate quota or number, having regard to the census population figures in the province.
Chaotic scenes loom ahead of the elections as the same problems were experienced during last year's provincial elections as well as the Youth League elections.
"There are bound to be problems because no concrete measures were taken after the chaotic provincial elections last year as well as the Youth League polls that were marred by allegations of vote-buying and intimidation, to prevent similar incidents," said a Zanu-PF politburo member.
"Unless and until the politburo provides solutions to such problems, internal elections in the party will be haunted by chaos."
Two rival camps reportedly led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa are engaged in a bruising fight for the control of provincial executives, which would play a critical role in electing members of the presidium at the party's elective congress come December, while determining Mugabe's successor.
Sources in Zanu-PF said preparations are well underway as the provinces are strategically positioning their candidates for the central committee elections.
According to the Zanu-PF constitution, the central committee is the principal organ of the party and consists of 245 members drawn from the party's 10 provinces. It acts on behalf of congress when it is not in session and among other things implements all policies, resolutions, directives, decisions and programmes enunciated by congress.
The Youth League provides 17 members to the central committee with the Women's League contributing the same number.
Chaotic scenes loom ahead of the elections as the same problems were experienced during last year's provincial elections as well as the Youth League elections.
"There are bound to be problems because no concrete measures were taken after the chaotic provincial elections last year as well as the Youth League polls that were marred by allegations of vote-buying and intimidation, to prevent similar incidents," said a Zanu-PF politburo member.
"Unless and until the politburo provides solutions to such problems, internal elections in the party will be haunted by chaos."
Two rival camps reportedly led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa are engaged in a bruising fight for the control of provincial executives, which would play a critical role in electing members of the presidium at the party's elective congress come December, while determining Mugabe's successor.
Source - Zim Ind
