MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora on Sunday announced that he was backing party president Nelson Chamisa to retain the post at the elective Congress slated for May 22-26 this year.
Mwonzora further revealed that he would seek re-election for the position of secretary-general which he currently holds. He will be challenged by Chalton Hwende who is leading in the nomination process.
A report now claims that rigging of the nomination process forced Mwonzora to withdraw his interest in seeking nomination for the presidency.
I an interview on Monday, Mwonzora said that he was withdrawing for the race in order to keep the party unified. He said:
I am no longer able to continue participating in the current Congress. I have raised my concerns to the chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, ZCTU led by Mr Japhet Moyo but nothing was done. I, therefore, had to withdraw because I do not wish to see the party divided.
I cannot continue participating in the Congress under the present circumstances if the concerns I have raised remained unresolved.
Mwonzora did not disclose the concerns that he had raised with the IEC and the ZCTU but referred questions to Moyo.
On his part, Moyo confirmed to the Chronicle that he had received several concerns but was not in a position to get into detail.
A party insider who spoke to the Chronicle said one of the factors in Mwonzora’s decision was the disenfranchisement of about seven districts in his home province, Manicaland.
The party insider is quoted as saying:
Other issues were that Congress was being held at night under unsafe circumstances. Another thorny issue raised in the letter was that other candidates were not being allowed to contest.
There was also a lot of violence perpetrated on those perceived to be against Chamisa.
The electoral college kept on changing. People who did not qualify to vote were allowed to do so while some of those qualified were barred from contesting.
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Douglas Mwonzora Pulls Out Of MDC Presidency Race. Declares Interest In SG Position
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