Correspondent

Residents of Bulawayo East constituency who claim to have voted in the 2018 elections have organised themselves to block the nomination of MDC-T members including its leader Thokozani Khupe into parliament.

The Zimbawe Electoral Commission, ZEC, gazetted that Khupe and her other MDC-T top leaders had been nominated to fill proportional representation seats in the National Assembly and Senate that fell vacant following their recalling from Parliament of MDC Alliance MPs.

According to the electoral act, voters have a tight to object to the nominations through ZEC before they are confirmed.

On Sunday, some voters in Bulawayo East held an emergency meeting in Mahatshula where they resolved to block Khupe’s nomination.

“As Bulawayo East voters, we are saying during the July 2018 harmonised elections, we overwhelmingly voted for the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa. Our constituency and our votes contributed to the cumulative provincial votes which formed the basis for the allocation of the proportional representative according to the Electoral Act,” said Gilbert Sibanda, who is spearheading the objection process.

“ZEC has a duty to respect our choices and should not allow the MDC-T to usurp our rights to choose our preferred representatives. Failure to abide by this duty is a clear infringement of our rights of association as spelt out in Section 58 of the Constitution,” he said.

“The whole essence of elections the world over is for people to choose their representatives. Why have elections when people’s preferred candidates can be replaced by other people without the approval of their political parties?”

Besides Khupe, other names set to replace expelled MDC Alliance MPs are; Yvonne Musarurwa, Lindani Moyo, January Sawuke, Memory Munochinzwa, Lwazi Sibanda, Sipho Mokone, Molly Dorothy Ndlovu, Tamani Moyo, Gertrude Moyo, Piniel Denga, Chief Ndlovu, Nomalanga Khumalo, and Teti Chisorochengwe. Khupe’s spokesperson Khalipani Phugeni has also been nominated.