By- Two lawmakers from the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) in Manicaland said they would not participate in the next election.

Mutare Central and Mutasa Central legislators, Innocent Gonese and Trevor Saruwaka, have declined to contest in the 2023 elections.

The two stepped down despite being nominated.

In a statement, Gonese, who is one of the opposition’s senior officials, said he had decided to back another nomination candidate Brian James to contest for the seat.
Gonese announced his decision to not contest in the upcoming general elections shortly after Saruwaka stepped down from contesting. Said Gonese:
I would like to thank the people of Mutare Central for giving me the opportunity to represent them as their representative in Parliament and also for nominating me as a Candidate in the forthcoming elections.
I am also happy that the former Mutare Mayor was also nominated as a candidate and while all the names are being vetted pending further processes, such as consultations and consensus in terms of the new candidate selection procedures, I have decided to decline the nomination.
I had a fruitful discussion with James yesterday as I consider him a very worthy and deserving person to take over from me and I am pleased to advise that we are going to work together to ensure that Mutare Central remains yellow and plays its part in ensuring that we deliver maximum votes for President Chamisa and all candidates in other positions.
Gonese has been quite vocal in Parliament ever since he was elected into the August House in 2008 on an MDC-T ticket.
The CCC candidate nomination process is being conducted by an independent body, the Citizens’ Independent Candidate Selection Panel (CISP).
The process has four stages, namely candidate nomination, candidate vetting, candidates’ caucuses and declaration of successful candidates.