BRIBERY demands by high-ranking MDC party officials on prospective candidates resulted in the opposition fielding more than one candidate in some constituencies and council seats, in the run-up to last year\u2019s polls.<\/p>\n
This was revealed during a provincial caucus meeting in Bulawayo on Monday, where the opposition party\u2019s aspiring executive council candidates were campaigning ahead of congress later this month.<\/p>\n
The party last year had double nominations in some areas, a development most people claimed contributed to its poor showing in several constituencies across the country, where its aggregate votes outstripped eventual winners from the ruling Zanu PF party.<\/p>\n
Gabbuza Joel Gabuza, vying for the chairman\u2019s post, claimed there were people asking for money for votes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was nominated, I only got one nomination, but people started calling me saying can you please give us some money in exchange for nomination. I said no, I will not do that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a chairman, if you do that, people become untouchable and you will not be able to discipline them. If you accept money, you become compromised. Double candidates are a result of corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n
MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora was grilled on his plans if given a second mandate to run the office, with some party members accusing him of being involved in the double nomination of candidates.<\/p>\n
But Mwonzora brushed aside the accusations and vowed to stay loyal to party leader Nelson Chamisa, and ensure the party will never split.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is important is the relationship between the president and secretary-general. If I am not happy, I go to the office of the president. We are close to each other and deal with the disputes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I have been secretary-general under our late icon Morgan Tsvangirai. There was no split, I have been secretary-general under our president Chamisa, there was no split and there will be no split because we know how to deal with disputes in a mature way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Party members also accused Mwonzora of having a hand in the recent High Court judgment which declared Chamisa as an illegitimate party leader.<\/p>\n
\u201cZanu PF killed our people, killed our industries and our economy, we have to remove this government. That is our main objective,\u201d Mwonzora said.<\/p>\n
MDC vice-chairman aspirant Job Sikhala said: \u201cThere are people who want to personalise the president because they come from the same village; that is what I will stop. I will take the president from the pockets of those who want to personalise our president and will give him back to the people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BRIBERY demands by high-ranking MDC party officials on prospective candidates resulted in the opposition fielding more than one candidate in some constituencies and council seats, in the run-up to last year\u2019s polls. This was revealed during a provincial caucus meeting in Bulawayo on Monday, where the opposition party\u2019s aspiring executive council candidates were campaigning ahead […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":8737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,6,8],"tags":[530,224,83,88],"class_list":["post-8851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","category-head-lines","tag-corruption","tag-council","tag-economy","tag-mdc"],"yoast_head":"\n