Political Reporter
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party is reportedly asking for monetary donations from aspiring candidates to enable it to complete the candidate selection process that has been hampered by lack of resources.
A source who spoke to this publication said that CCC leader, Nelson Chamisa directed that every aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) should pay US$50.00 while aspiring councillors would have to fork out US$20.00 to finance the candidate selection exercise.
“The party is in financial doldrums and has since asked all aspiring candidates to contribute money. Aspiring MPs will pay US$50.00 while aspiring councillors were asked to pay US$20.00 to finance the candidate selection process. Failure to pay the money means that your name would be removed from the list of aspiring candidates,” said the source,
The source said that aspiring candidates were told that the money was meant to secure closed venues for the community consensus meetings as well as to cater for other administrative costs.
According to the source, some of the funds would be used to pay allowances to the Candidate Independent Selection Panel (CISP) that is conducting the vetting of the aspiring candidates.
The source added that there was an outcry from aspiring candidates who felt that the money being demanded was exorbitant and unjustified.
“The aspiring candidates are not happy with Chamisa’s demand for tithes. They are saying that the directive was a ploy to disqualify financially challenged aspiring candidates. The aspiring candidates are arguing that incumbent MPs and councillors should be the ones to pay the tithes because they have the financial means to do so,” added the source.
Meanwhile, the CCC candidate selection process continues to be marred by chaos as aspiring MP for Norton constituency, Norton Matemere, was accused of hiring thugs to attack his rival, Richard Tsvangirai.
According to reports, Matemere was alleging that Tsvangirai was not a resident of Norton, hence he should not be allowed to contest in that constituency.
Meanwhile, some CCC members have called for the swift conclusion of the candidate selection process as its delay was widening rifts within that party.
