By Paul Nyathi
As the jostling for the few parliamentary seats allocated to the Welshman Ncube led MDC under the MDC Alliance coalition intensifies, the party has warned their popular legislator Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga to quickly ship into the party candidates selection process or ship out.
Speaking in an interview to ZimEye.com, National Spokesperson of the party Kurauwone Chihwayi said that Mushonga is misplaced to believe that the party will go after her begging her to apply to be considered as one of the party’s parliamentary candidates in the upcoming general elections.
Chihwayi said this responding to Mushonga’s revelations last week that she had not been advised that the party is involved in the candidates selection for this year’s elections and that her name was not up for consideration as she had not applied for consideration.
“We are not treating Misihairabwi differently,” said Chihwayi.
“Notices were sent to everybody as required by the party constitution and I am not aware of any special arrangement for sitting legislators,” he said responding to Mushonga’s claims that as a sitting parliamentarian she should have been advised to apply in a special notice.
“I advise her to submit her application through the normal channels instead of waiting for a midnight train in a secluded place. Freedom trains do not move at night,” said Chihwayi.
“Hon Misihairabwi can rush to the station now if she wants to be part of the new Zimbabwe team, she may be at a wrong station at the wrong time,” Chihwayi added.
According to Chihwayi the candidates selection process is currently underway and proceeding undeterred with the selection team working on the names of people who submitted their applications when the call for applications closed in January.
“The candidate selection process is progressing well and at an advanced level,” said Chihwayi.
“The selection committee is guided by the party law not the number of shoes in our wardrobes,” he said.
Chihwayi claimed that the party is doing the candidates selection process in the most democratic process under the leadership of Professor Ncube.
“I have known this party as the most principled, non violent and democratic with a democratic leader in the form of Professor Welshman Ncube,” he said.
Chihwayi implored that the party is prepared to replace Mushonga who is ranked as one of the most efficient parliamentarians in the august house.
“The Mdc does not have permanent seats for particular individuals like Hon Misihairabwi. We respect her as our committed cadre of the party,” declared Chihwayi.
“According to the mdc constitution which is our political bible, notices are sent to party structures not private places, Hon Priscilla Misihairabwi is not a permanent MDC Proportional Representation candidate for Matabeleland South,” said Chihwayi.
“In this case the window was opened for everyone to take in January,” concluded Chihwayi.
Mushonga last week expressed her concerns when Chihwayi’s Deputy Mbuso Siso hinted that the party was preparing to effect disciplinary action against her for defying party President Welshman Ncube and not participating in the party programmes.
Siso also raised sentiments raised by Chihwayi that the party was not obliged to give Mushonga a special notice to apply for consideration.
The party provincial chairman for Matabeleland South Pius Ndebele however challenged the party national leadership claiming that as the province that seconded Mushonga to parliament they were happy with her representation and willing to give her another term in parliament.