20 aspiring MPs fail to file nomination papers

At least 20 aspiring Members of Parliament (MPs) in Bulawayo failed to submit their nomination papers last week, as they could not raise the required US$ 1000 fees.

Zimbabwe is holding harmonised elections in August this year.

"…Some of them failed to file as they could not raise the nomination fees and those were more than 20.Some failed because they did not have nominators and they went and never came back," Innocent Ncube

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Bulawayo provincial elections told journalists this week.

"Some also failed because their papers were not signed by their designated party members as required by the law. Those who had incomplete nomination papers were about 18."

Candidates vying for the presidential post were paying US$20 000 nomination fee and submitted their papers at the High Court in Harare.

Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube will contest with Pashor Sibanda, a CCC candidate, for the Cowdray Park constituency. CCC fielded two candidates in two constituencies Pelandaba-Tshabalala Constituency and Pumula Constituency.

Innocent Ncube said two signatures from political parties were presented to ZEC.

"We observed that some parties fielded double candidates. What we were looking at were papers signed by those who were designated by their parties to sign for them.

"We had two signatures from political parties that were presented to us and if any of those designated signatures signed the papers we accepted them. There were no grounds for us to reject those nomination papers," Ncube said.

In an interview, ZANU-PF Bulawayo Provincial spokesperson and aspiring candidate for ward 5 Archibold Chiponda said the party in Bulawayo was working on refining itself.

"I am also the local authority candidate for Morningside, Belmont, Sidojiwe and West Summerton. So I am hoping I will be successful.

"Politics is like a game like chess.

"What happens is you keep refining your strategy overtime to achieve success. So, we are constantly refining our strategy. We are constantly appealing to people and we are quiet sure this time with our product offer we should have a bit of success," Chiponda said.

Former Cabinet Minister and CCC candidate for local government in Bulawayo, David Coltart said:

"Although the opposition has always been winning council elections across the country's urban areas since the establishment of MDC in 1999, it has not been effective now in terms of governing."

The MDC-T failed to field candidates in all constituencies amid reports that the party was broke.

In a statement to all MDC-T provinces on Wednesday evening, the party's secretary general, Tapiwa Mashakada, said: "Due to circumstances beyond our control, all candidates are now advised to leave their forms at ZEC offices and disperse. Further communication will be issued regarding the legal status of their nomination papers in view of non-payment. Any inconvenience suffered is most sincerely regretted."

MDC-T spokesperson Witness Dube said the nomination process was fraught with irregularities as some prominent members in the party were failing to get their names on the voters roll.