The MDC Alliance will not hold primary elections to select candidates for the 2023 elections but will adopt a community-based candidate selection process.
This was said by the party’s spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba during a media briefing on Monday night.
Siziba made the remarks following MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s tour of the Matabeleland region where locals said they do not want candidates imported from other regions. Said Siziba:
The president and the leadership of the party responded to these key questions during the interface and of course got the opportunity to share with the communities in and around our party’s view, around key issues like the party’s name, and how we intend to deploy candidates.
One of the predominant issues that came from community leaders is that they do not want candidates imported to lead them.
So the party has responded by proposing a community-based candidate selection programme. So this time we are not going to be having primary elections as a party.
He said the people of Matabeleland were unhappy with the marginalisation of the region.
Siziba said once Chamisa’s party wins the 2023 elections, it would end the underdevelopment of Matabeleland and the side-lining of languages in the region, particularly Ndebele, Kalanga and Tonga.