Story by Bruce Chahwanda, Political Editor

IT is all systems go ahead of the ZANU PF primary elections which will be held this Saturday, with 37 names having been added to the list of contesting candidates.

ZANU PF National Political Commissar Dr Mike Bimha said all is in place for the primary elections, adding that the voting process will be conducted from 7 am to 4 pm this Saturday.

‘‘Logistics and administration have been put in place. Ballot boxes were deployed to all provinces, 80 percent of the ballot papers have been distributed, remaining 20 percent should be on their way. Before the end of today, they should have been distributed, training of presiding and polling officers is underway while cell registers have been distributed. Transport has been arranged to ferry all election material and personnel to centres and we are good to go. Our members must come in numbers to vote between 7. am to 4. pm, he said.

Dr Bimha also revealed that 47 complaints have been received and out of these only 37 applications were approved to contest in the election.

He added, ‘‘47 applications thought they must be reconsidered, we have a special ad-hoc tribunal to consider complaints, it met for the second time, 47 appeals were looked at, 37 of the appeals were allowed to participate. Only ten have not been successful are mostly candidates who don’t meet the criteria and provinces have been advised about the changes.’’

The ZANU PF Primary elections are part of the ruling party’s internal democratic processes ahead of the general elections later this year.