MDC-T rebels ordered to withdraw nominations

MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti has ordered 7 disgruntled party members who registered to contest the forthcoming council elections as independent or parallel candidates to withdraw their candidature at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and pave way for candidates who won the party's primary elections.

The rebel candidates had filed to stand as independents at ZEC alleging electoral irregularities during the party's primary elections.

Yesterday the MDC-T deputy national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe said the issue of double submissions by the party had been resolved.

"Where there was that kind of arrangements it means there was a mix up as you know that this (election date) proclamation was rushed, and there was also the issue of the court application which might have confused things, hence two nomination papers from the same party."

Bhebhe said the party leadership has since met to resolve the issue, and indicated that the disgruntled members who had filed as independents had also been approached with a view to urge them to withdraw from the race.

He said: "Some of them might have applied as independents out of sheer anger, confusion or greed but discussions have been held with some of them and they have seen the light and have started withdrawing their applications," he said.

Bhebhe said most of the Independents were expected to step down "unless their motive is to destabilise the party in which case, there will be no loss if they left."

He further revealed that the party had reached a decision on who will represent it in Chikanga/Dangamvura as well as the Chitungwiza Wards, but declined to give details, preferring to say the party would issue a statement soon.

However, SW Radio Africa is reliably informed that the party leadership was leaning heavily on Tsunga to make way for the preferred candidate, Mutsekwa.

Bhebhe defended the move to offer one of the seats reserved for women under the quota system to Grace Kwinjeh, whom the party said had won in Makoni Central before reversing that decision.

"Yes, she may have lost the primaries but in any formation or party, you don't just throw away senior leaders of the party, especially those that were deployed by the party outside the country," he added.

The MDC-T said those standing as Independents had seven days to withdraw their applications as stipulated by the electoral law. If they fail to do so they would have chosen to expel themselves from the party.