News / Local
Joseph Busha advocates for increase of nomination fees to US$50 000
14 Jun 2023 at 01:43hrs | Views
OPPOSITION party leader Joseph Makamba Busha has urged authorities to increase presidential nomination fees for the upcoming elections to US$50 000 to avoid a congested ballot paper in the upcoming elections.
This follows a Constitutional Court ruling ordering a downward review of the candidates' fees after opposition Nationalists Alliance Party (NAP) leader Devine Mhambi Hove challenged the fees saying they were exorbitant.
The current nomination fees are pegged at US$20 000 for presidents, US$1000 for members of parliament and US$100 for councillors.
Busha, who announced his candidature in the August 23 presidential polls, was addressing a press conference in Harare.
He said while he believed legislators' and councillors' nomination fees were indeed high and must be decreased, the presidential fees were low giving leeway for a stuffed ballot paper.
"I believe that the nomination fees for councillors and members of parliament are exorbitant. I think for councillors and MPs it must be reduced into half but for the president I think they could put it to US$50 000 because we do not want people who want to play with Zimbabweans.
"I believe that if anybody wants to prove that they are ready enough to serve the nation, they must be able to give, leaders pay all the time, leaders pay through stress, sacrifice, so the fee directly for president I think is fair, I was actually advocating for more so that we do not have a bloated ballot paper," Busha said.
Other political parties have been demanding a downward review of candidates' nomination fees arguing they will limit participation.
This follows a Constitutional Court ruling ordering a downward review of the candidates' fees after opposition Nationalists Alliance Party (NAP) leader Devine Mhambi Hove challenged the fees saying they were exorbitant.
The current nomination fees are pegged at US$20 000 for presidents, US$1000 for members of parliament and US$100 for councillors.
Busha, who announced his candidature in the August 23 presidential polls, was addressing a press conference in Harare.
"I believe that the nomination fees for councillors and members of parliament are exorbitant. I think for councillors and MPs it must be reduced into half but for the president I think they could put it to US$50 000 because we do not want people who want to play with Zimbabweans.
"I believe that if anybody wants to prove that they are ready enough to serve the nation, they must be able to give, leaders pay all the time, leaders pay through stress, sacrifice, so the fee directly for president I think is fair, I was actually advocating for more so that we do not have a bloated ballot paper," Busha said.
Other political parties have been demanding a downward review of candidates' nomination fees arguing they will limit participation.
Source - NewZimbabwe
