The country’s biggest opposition, Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), has hinted at announcing the names of 2023 election candidates after concluding the vetting process in all constituencies and council wards across the country.
The party said it is now consulting party members to find the best candidates to represent the party.
CCC initially announced it would reveal its candidates on 11 April but later said announcing the names may expose the candidates to attacks by ZANU PF members. Fadzayi Mahere the party’s spokesperson said:
We can confirm that the process has proceeded smoothly. Candidates have been successfully nominated and vetted for each of these seats (210 constituencies and 1 971 wards). Stakeholders have been consulted.
We are currently at the citizen caucus stage where citizens will have a say on who will be the best representative for each respective community.
According to the CCC candidate selection procedures document, the process is in five parts: nomination which happened on 5 April 2023; candidate acceptance confirmation in which nominated candidates were supposed to accept the nomination; candidate vetting and announcement of candidates that would have passed the vetting stage.
The final stage will be consensus-building caucuses before the official announcement of victorious candidates who will represent the party in general elections set for August this year.
Mahere said CCC is confident of winning the upcoming general elections. She said:
We are well on course to ensure the citizens’ movement is competently and ethically represented in every community of Zimbabwe.
The citizens will have the opportunity to put a permanent end in the ballot box to the repression, persecution, hunger and poverty created by ZANU PF.
A CCC government will usher in a new Great Zimbabwe with leaders who will deliver dignity, freedom and prosperity for all.
Meanwhile, an Afrobarometer survey in February this year revealed that the opposition had a four-point advantage (48%) over the ruling ZANU PF (44%) in voting preferences.
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