CCC Writes To ZEC Over Case Of Name Similarity

The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party has written a letter to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to seek clarification regarding a situation of name similarity. This was after it was discovered that a person named Chitembe David from Harare East Constituency had registered to contest in the Parliamentary elections as a candidate for a political party named Changu Chimuti Chakapinda Chapinda (CCCC), which bears a resemblance to the CCC party.

The party inquired if the CCCC party exists and how it was possible for someone to register with a political party that has a name identical to theirs. The CCC has also expressed curiosity about the use of similar symbols by various political parties and requested ZEC to clarify this issue to the citizens. In an open letter seen by Pindula News, the CCC led by Nelson Chamisa said:

Dear @ZECzim,

We wanted to inquire whether there exists a political party by the name of Changu Chimuti Chakapinda Chapinda (CCCC). We are curious about the electoral law with regard to the use of similar symbols by various parties. We are wondering how someone was registered with a political party that is identical to our party, CCC. Could you kindly clarify this to the citizens?

Over the years, Zimbabwe’s political landscape has been marked by instances of name similarity among political parties. Examples include the MDC-T party led by Thokozani Khupe, which was accused in 2018 of using a symbol similar to that of the MDC Alliance party then led by Nelson Chamisa. Other examples include Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations such as MDC T, MDC M, MDC
Alliance, MDC 99 as well as the ZANU Ndonga, PF ZAPU, ZANU PF, ZIM PF, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Citizens Collaboration for Change (CCC), Citizens Convergence for Change (CCC), and Changu Chimuti Chakapinda Chapinda (CCCC).

Political analysts believe that this situation can lead to voter confusion and raise concerns about the credibility of the electoral process. They argue that this is caused by the absence of eligibility tests for political parties, therefore, having a central registry where parties can register and deposit their names, symbols, colours, and logos would help prevent conflicts and enable voters to make informed choices.

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