by Innocent Mujeri
Leader of the MDC-Alliance formation, Nelson Chamisa is being accused of imposing his cronies to contest on behalf of his political formation in the forthcoming by-elections.
Members of the MDC-Alliance who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity, said Chamisa has become a threat to democracy in that party as he is handpicking people to contest in the impending by- elections.
In Mutare, Chamisa is accused of imposing the MDC-Alliance’s Secretary for Legal Affairs, Innocent Gonese, to contest for the Mutare Central parliamentary seat that was left vacant after the same’s recall from parliament by the Thokozani Khupe’s MDC-T.
The MDC-Alliance members in Mutare are saying Gonese does not hail from Mutare therefore he should not be their parliamentary representative.
“We have been complaining about Gonese but the president (Chamisa) is not taking us serious. Gonese should not be imposed on us because he does not come from Mutare. Gonese hails from Gutu and he should go and contest in Gutu not in Mutare,” fumed one MDC-Alliance member.
Another MDC-Alliance member said Gonese is Chamisa’s friend and that might be the reason he was handpicked to be the MDC-Alliance candidate for Mutare Central in the imminent by-elections
“Gonese is a friend of Chamisa and they come from the same district. All things being equal, there was supposed to be primary elections to select the candidate who will stand on behalf of the party in the next by- elections. However, we were surprised to hear that primary elections were banned in Mutare Central and Gonese was to represent the party,” said another MDC-Alliance member.
Meanwhile, in Harare, Chamisa is believed to be clashing with his deputy Welshman Ncube over the selection of a candidate to contest for the Kuwadzana parliamentary seat that was left vacant following the death of Miriam Mushayi.
Sources in the MDC-Alliance said Ncube wanted former Director for Planning, Strategy and Implementation in the MDC-Ncube, Ellen Shiriyedenga, to contest on behalf of that party. However, Chamisa is supporting the candidature of that party’s spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere for the constituency.
“According to the MDC-Alliance agreement, the Kuwadzana parliamentary seat belonged to the MDC - Ncube not MDC T. The ideal thing was for MDC of Professor Ncube to appoint the candidate to contest in the next by elections because Mushayi before her death was a member of the MDC of Professor Ncube. But we are hearing that Chamisa is pushing for Mahere to contest on behalf of the party. This is not fair at all,” lamented the MDC-Alliance member.
The imposition of parliamentary candidates is threatening to further divide the MDC-Alliance as senior members are reportedly holding clandestine meetings in a bid to outdo each other in the power matrix of that opposition outfit.
