Zimbabwe: Zanu-PF Postpones Primary Elections Indefinitely

Ruling party Zanu PF has postponed primary elections that were scheduled for Saturday pending completion of internal electoral processes.

Zanu PF political commissar Mike Bimha said due to overwhelming candidates’ applications the party could not meet the deadline for tomorrow’s elections.

The elections date will be set when Politburo meets on Monday.

The party was running many exercises such as cell verification, CV submissions and vetting of its members for the primary elections which could not be completed in time.

Bimha said the party’s national elections directorate will meet today which will result in the sitting of the politburo paving way for primary elections.

“Now the national elections directorate can now meet to look at all these processes and then make its recommendations. I do not have the final say in terms of who should stand and who should not make recommendations.

“Once they carry out that exercise, make their recommendations. These are then the recommendations that are then considered by the politburo and the politburo has the final say. Once they consider submissions and recommendations that means game on.

“We had anticipated that Saturday we would have elections but as I said because of the overwhelming response it was not possible to get to that target.

“The President has agreed that we meet as the politburo on Monday specifically to consider all the submissions. The primary elections will be held after the politburo,” said Bimha.

He added that a plethora of applications were received for council, member of parliament, youth and women’s quota with senate positions being minimal.

Aspiring candidates had already flooded social media and in constituencies campaigning for tickets to represent Zanu PF in general elections, before the completion of pre-elections processes.

On the increased number of candidates up for primary elections, Bimha said Zanu PF had eased requirements for its members to participate.

“In the past we used to say to our candidates please do not campaign before the approval but because candidates were saying look the date is Saturday we can not wait for the announcement.

“The politburo this time had to relook at some of the regulations to say look let us remove those aspects of clauses that tend to close out people. Let us remove so that we open up and all those who want let them come in and the people will decide whom they want,” he said.