VOA
Sites by Language
Top Stories:
English Worldwide
English
voanews.com
Learning English
learningenglish.voanews.com
Eastern & Central Europe
Shqip
Zeriamerikes.com
Bosanski
vijestiglasaamerike.com
Ελληνικά
gr.voanews.com
Македонски
mk.voanews.com
Srpski
glasamerike.net
Українська
chastime.com
Eurasia
Հայերեն
amerikayidzayn.com
Azerbaijani
amerikaninsesi.org
ქართული
amerikiskhma.com
Русский
golos-ameriki.ru
Central Asia
O‘zbek
amerikaovozi.com
East & Southeast Asia
Burmese
burmese.voanews.com
粵語
voacantonese.com
中文
voachinese.com
Bahasa Indonesia
voaindonesia.com
ខ្មែរ
khmer.voanews.com
Khmer
voacambodia.com
한국어
voakorea.com
ລາວ
lao.voanews.com
ไทย
voathai.com
བོད་ཡིག
voatibetan.com
Tibetan
voatibetanenglish.com
Tiếng Việt
voatiengviet.com
South Asia
বাংলা
voabangla.com
دری
darivoa.com
پښتو
pashtovoa.com
وی او اې ډيوه ريډیو
voadeewaradio.com
اردو
urduvoa.com
Africa
Afaan Oromoo
voaafaanoromoo.com
አማርኛ
amharic.voanews.com
Français
lavoixdelamerique.com
Hausa
voahausa.com
Kinyarwanda
radiyoyacuvoa.com
Kirundi
radiyoyacuvoa.com
Ndebele
voandebele.com
Português
voaportugues.com
Shona
voashona.com
Soomaaliga
voasomali.com
Kiswahili
voaswahili.com
ትግርኛ
tigrigna.voanews.com
Zimbabwe
voazimbabwe.com
Middle East / North Africa
فارسی
ir.voanews.com
كوردی
dengiamerika.com
Kurdi
dengeamerika.com
Türkçe
amerikaninsesi.com
Latin America
Creole
voanouvel.com
Español
voanoticias.com
VOA
Log in
Sign up
Log out
Home
Civil Society
Economy
Education
Food and Agriculture
Human Rights
Politics
Sports
Africa
USA
World
Health
Programs
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 Local time: 19:41
Audio
Multimedia
Studio 7 for Zimbabwe
Nhau dzeShona
Indaba
YouTube
Photos
Video
News
/
Politics
2013 Primary Elections Scaring Zimbabwean Politicians
Print
Share:
x
Tweet
Related Articles
President Mugabe Calls For Peace in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's Mugabe, Tsvangirai Appeal For Peace, Tolerance
Mugabe Grabs Critical Laws Ahead of Elections
Zimbabwe Parties Fight Over Control of Draft Constitution
Broke Zimbabwe Divided Over External Election Funds
TEXT SIZE
-
+
Sandra Nyaira
16.11.2012
WASHINGTON
— With national elections expected next year, President Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF party and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) formation are currently grappling with primary elections which have become a source of serious intra-party conflict over the past few years.
Primaries are supposed to ensure that each party presents its strongest candidate in the general election and give the people a bigger voice in choosing the leadership.
But few party bosses want to be challenged, especially in their own constituencies.
The debate over primaries has surfaced in the in Mr. Tsvangirai's party, whose senior leaders recently contradicted each other over these elections.
Party organizing secretary Nelson Chamisa initially said every member intending to represent the MDC in the election would be forced to go through primary polls, noting that "there won’t be any sacred cows”.
But the prime minister's party on Thursday said while they do plan to hold primaries in December as sitting lawmakers would have to be confirmed by their constituents.
Spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said the MDC's standing committee had agreed that the MDC would hold confirmation elections in which party structures will vote to retain or replace incumbent candidates.
Some aspiring politicians call this a "sweetheart deal" meant to protect incumbents from challengers.
“First, we will hold primaries where we do not have Members of Parliament. We call these constituencies orphaned. After that we will have a confirmation election in areas where we have MPs. The aim is to weed out unpopular MPs,” Mwonzora said.
For its part, the Zanu PF old guard afraid of losing constituencies to challengers, is pushing the party to consider new regulations to guide the conduct of primary polls that may block former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo and businessman Phillip Chiyangwa from contesting.
But Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo tells VOA the regulations are still being formulated.
Interview With Rugare Gumbo
Interview With Rugare Gumbo
✖
▶
||
■
12:00:00
/
-:--:--
🔇
🔉
⎚
▶
Playlist
Download
Radio
English
|
MP3
Shona
|
MP3
Ndebele
|
MP3
LiveTalk
|
MP3
Most Viewed
Tsvangirai, Mugabe Arrive in Maputo for SADC Summit on Zimbabwe
SADC Urges Zimbabwe Leaders to Seek Fresh Election Date
MDC, Others Challenge Mugabe's Election Date
Tsvangirai Urges Mugabe to Change Election Date in Courts
Parties Opposed to Zanu-PF Crafting Zimbabwe Grand Coalition