Munyanduri Says ZEC Should Use Education To Screen Presidential Candidates
New Patriotic Front (NPF) leader Tendai Peter Munyanduri says the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) should use the level of education as a criterion to screen Presidential candidates and not money.
Munyanduri made the suggestion after ZEC hiked nomination fees for presidential hopefuls from US$1 000 to US$20 000.
Most opposition parties in the country have voiced their opposition to the new fees saying they are not able to raise the required US$20 000 for nomination fees.
In Zimbabwe, it is illegal for political parties to get outside funding under the Political Parties Financing Act.
The same law stipulates that political parties that get at least 5% of Parliamentary seats get funding from the treasury.
Currently, only ZANU PF and MDC Alliance led by Douglas Mwonzora have been sharing the funds.
In an interview with OpenParly, Munyanduri said the leaders of ZANU PF, MDC-T and CCC connived in a bid to block the leaders of other parties from fielding presidential candidates. He said:
They should use education as a screening tool for Presidential candidates and not money.
For example, ZEC may say for one to qualify as a Presidential candidate you must have a minimum of a master’s degree.
That is a more objective criterion than using exorbitant nomination fees.
With US$20 000 in Presidential nomination fees, it is only the three unashamed lawyers who are stealing and looting public funds in the name of the Political Parties Finance Act who will be on that ballot paper facilitated by stolen and looted public funds.
The announced nomination fees are a cowardly act by the infamous lawyers Mnangagwa, Chamisa, and Mwonzora.
They are afraid of competing with us because they know we will beat them in a free and fair election.
These lawyers are not ashamed to have a ballot paper with only lawyers in a country of more than 20 professions.
Munyanduri once promised to give citizens eggs and bacon every day if he wins the 2018 general election.
More: OpenParly
