A peripheral political party in Zimbabwe is claiming that it is making inroads in the country’s forthcoming June parliamentary by-elections.
One of the candidates of Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe, Benjamin Cosmas, says they hope to give other candidates a torrid time in the polls to fill seats left vacant by the recalling of Movement for Democratic Change Renewal members of parliament by Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party.
Cosmas told VOA Studio 7 that despite the uneven electoral field, they hope to pick the Dzivarasekwa seat in Harare, where he is set to clash with candidates drawn from several parties, including President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.
He alleged that some local people are vandalizing their campaign posters in an effort to intimidate them ahead of the by-election.
Zanu PF claims that the party is not intimidating its opponents. The party’s spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo was not reachable for comment.
Movement for Democratic Change formations have boycotted the polls saying there should be major electoral reforms before they participate in any national elections.
Meanwhile, Joshua Chigwangwa, a Zimbabwean who contested the just-ended British national elections, won by the Conservative party, believes that immigrants should always participate in these important polls.
He told VOA Studio 7 this will ensure that foreigners fight for their rights in a nation where immigration is top on the agenda for the Conservative party.