CCC struggling to raise candidate nomination fees

The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) election preparations are in jeopardy as that party is failing to raise the gazetted Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) nomination fees for its presidential, parliamentary and local authority candidates.

In August last year, ZEC gazetted SI 144 of 2022 on the Electoral (Nomination of Candidates) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022 (No.1), increasing presidential nomination fees from US$1 000 to US$20 000. The nomination fees for National Assembly and Senate candidates also increased from US$50 to US$1 000.

According to a source, CCC was currently financially bankrupt and was contemplating not fielding candidates in some constituencies and wards as it does not have funds to pay nomination fees for all its candidates.

"The party is in financial quandary as it is failing to raise the nomination fees for all its candidates. As it stands, CCC needs about US$240 000 to pay the nomination fees for all its candidates. Last week, our secretary for elections, Amai Ellen Shiriyedenga said that there was no money for candidates' nomination fees. The party will likely not contest in some wards and constituencies if it fails to urgently get the money," said the source.

The same source added that only aspiring candidates who had the capacity to pay the nomination fees were going to be allowed to represent CCC in the forthcoming elections.

"Despite the party conducting the candidate selection process, the truth is that only those candidates with capacity to pay for their own nomination fees will be allowed to represent the party. This is no longer a game for the poor but for the rich," said the source.

The same source claimed that CCC's coffers were in red as the party's traditional sponsors were withholding their monetary donations citing gross abuse of funds by that party's leadership.

Political analyst, Terrence Chipwanya said that the nomination fees being charged by ZEC were decent as they would help deter political chancers from contesting the elections.

"I think the nomination fees being charged by ZEC are correct as they would help to deter political chancers from contesting elections. We don't want a repeat of the 2018 scenario where the presidential ballot paper had 21 names of aspiring candidates," said Chipwanya.