The ruling party Zanu PF spokeperson Patrick Chinamasa has said they will continue to hold primary by-elections in all vacant constituencies and councils despite their party’s top executive Constantino Chiwenga who is the country’s Vice President and doubles as the Health Minister’s ban on all by-elections using SI 225A of 2020. New Zimbabwe reports.
While addresing journalist, tough talking Chinamasa said he wants to make it clear that they are ready for the by-elections :
I want to make this clear, as far as Zanu PF is concerned, we are ready for elections.
Chinamasa was then asked why the ruling party was holding by-elections when ZEC and the government suspended them and he responded and said anyone with a problem with that must take it up with the government:
We have been observing all the Covid-19 regulations, whether we go to our 2020 conference, these will be observed. If it does not, we will have to hold it as a virtual conference.
To my knowledge, as Zanu PF, we have already started preparing for our primaries. The postponement of by-elections came because of Covid-19. If you are querying whether it was proper or not, put that to government.
Regulations are issued by government. I do not see any double standards myself. When the situation is considered appropriate, the regulations will be relaxed to allow for primary by-elections to take place.
Let me be clear, Zanu PF is ready today for any by-elections. We are ready any day. We will proceed and continue with our primary elections.
The numbers were very small and the party had complied with the regulations of not having a gathering of not more than 100 people.
Meanwhile Zanu PF indefinitely suspended Kwekwe primary by-elections after they turned blody when rival groups clashed and ZRP officers had to be called to difuse the violence.
More: New Zimbabwe