Political Reporter 

The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) commenced its candidate selection process yesterday with Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube being nominated together with Nelson Chamisa as the preferred presidential candidates for this year’s elections.

Despite the existence of a directive that Chamisa should not be contested for the presidency, some party members defied the order and nominated Ncube and Biti as their preferred presidential candidates for this year’s elections.

A source who spoke to this publication said that a number of CCC candidate selection centres in Harare and Mashonaland Central provinces nominated Biti for that party’s presidential candidate.

“Biti received overwhelming nominations in Mashonaland Central province and some centres in Harare. Members were saying that CCC needs a mature leader like Biti to lead it into this year’s polls. Some were saying that Chamisa can remain as party leader while Biti becomes the presidential candidate. I hope such a scenario will not cause confusion within the party,” said the source.

The same source added that Matabeleland Provinces endorsed Welshman Ncube arguing that they once gave the late Morgan Tsvangirai a chance and he wasted it.

“In Bulawayo and other Matebeleland Provinces, Ncube received the highest nominations. Members were arguing that it’s high time the CCC be led by a Ndebele speaking person. They were saying that they once gave Chamisa’s predecessor, Tsvangirai a chance to bring change and he wasted the chance,” said the source.

However, Chamisa’s loyalists have vowed to resist any machinations to systematically dethrone Chamisa through the candidate selection process.

“We have one leader and all these people nominating Biti and Ncube are just wasting time. Chamisa is our sole presidential candidate and anyone who disputes that is free to leave CCC,” said a CCC member.

Meanwhile, CCC’s candidate selection process was marred by violence, reports of imposition and other electoral malpractices