By Staff Reporter
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has reiterated and endorsed that the party will do away with the traditional primary elections to choose candidates who will represent the party in this year’s harmonised elections.
The opposition movement recently announced a new criteria in which citizens will select individuals of their choice who will represent the party in the forthcoming elections.
Speaking to a local online publication the opposition leader said citizens are interested in people with integrity hence the need for their (citizens) participation in the process.
“It is a brand new candidate selection process; it’s fresh.It’s novel and it’s modern and places the citizen at the centre of the process. Citizenocracy is government by the citizens. It’s a citizenocratic selection process.
“Citizens want candidates to be selected on merit, integrity, dignity, suitability and accountability. Citizens prefer representatives who are visible, accessible and available.Those leaders who regularly report back to constituencies and communities to get instructions and progress on policies and national priorities of public interest.
“All these are going to be considered through a rigorous vetting panel that looks at these critical tests.In the event that we have more candidates nominated, citizens caucuses are convened. A citizen caucus is constituted by those who have subscribed to citizen philosophy and ideology in the constituency or in a particular ward.The process also involves wide consultation with stakeholders in that particular constituency or ward,” said Chamisa
The stiffer candidate selection process is set to take place on Wednesday across the country amid reports that in some constituencies there are more than two candidates vying for selection.
CCC has reiterated that the process will prevail smoothly despite fears of discohesion that comes with the process.
