MDC-T primary elections start

ADVOCATE Nelson Chamisa’s MDC-T is today up to Monday expected to hold primary elections in constituencies where its candidates failed to reach consensus.

The party threatened to disqualify some of its aspiring candidates who would be found guilty of instigating violence in the process.

In an interview yesterday, MDC-T national chairman Mr Morgen Komichi, said only a few constituencies will hold primary elections as most of the ground was covered in consensus building. “We will be holding our primary elections on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and partly on Monday. That is why I can say at the moment. So in short there are quite a few areas where there will be primaries. The majority of the areas have come up with consensus candidates,” said Mr Komichi.

MDC-T had intended to avoid the democratic process of holding primary elections saying internal polls were divisive. But even its consensus building process was not completed without violence erupting in some of its constituencies.

Mr Komichi defended some of the party’s troublecausers saying people react differently to decisions that work against them. “This is a process of decisionmaking and not everyone will be happy with the decision outcome. There are people that are bound to complain. Yes of course we witnessed a bit of an uproar on Monday,” said Mr Komichi.

“But it was just a one day’s event which is natural with people’s behaviour when a decision has been made. People are bound to react. I think we have managed it. The noise has gone down, there is calm.”

He said aspiring candidates who would be found sponsoring violence will be disqualified from contesting.

“As a matter of rule, our team is investigating on the ground at the moment. And the names that are going to be fingered in those particular incidents would automatically be disqualified. We don’t want to just pre-empt and take action before we investigate,” he said.

In Bulawayo the party is expected to hold primary elections in Magwegwe, Pelandaba-Mpopoma, Entumbane-Emakhandeni and Bulawayo South constituencies. In Matabeleland South it will hold internal polls in Umzingwane and two other constituencies.

In Matabeleland North it will hold primary elections in Hwange East and Hwange Central constituencies. — @ nqotshili