THE Zanu PF faction aligned to Vice President Joice Mujuru emerged the winner from a crisis meeting of the party's politburo Saturday after results from disputed elections in three provinces were allowed to stand.
Polls to re-organise structures in Mashonaland Central, Manicaland and Midlands provinces had sparked controversy after losing candidates - most of them said to be aligned to a faction backing justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa - claimed the votes had been rigged.
Mujuru and Mnangagwa are seen as the leading contenders in an increasingly bitter fight to succeed President Robert Mugabe who turns 90 next February.
Party spokesman, Rugare Gumbo, said the election results had been upheld following robust and frank exchanges during the six-hour meeting.
"The Politburo met for the greater part of Saturday and made a number of decisions. The first decision was to reaffirm provincial elections for Manicaland, the Midlands and Mashonaland Central," Gumbo told reporters after the meeting.
"The second was the endorsement of provincial executives for Mashonaland Central. With respect to the Midlands, there is a caveat. A report was made about the Youth League chairman, Edson Samambwa.
"People felt that because the young man had participated in the elections even though he was more than 35 years old, he should be given the benefit of doubt."
He added that there had been frank exchanges over the challenges facing the party.
"There was a robust debate on the challenges the party is facing, conflicting statements coming out in the Press, mudslinging which was going on and as a revolutionary party, we have been urged by His Excellency to try and reconcile our views to try and make sure that the party succeeds," said Gumbo.
"We have a major programme, Zim Asset, which needs to be implemented (in order to) fulfil the aspirations of the people who voted for us in July.
"The President (Mugabe) was so calm and cool as a tried and tested leader and he wanted to make sure that we are all together in terms of our thinking and our approach.
"There was robust debate about the challenges that the party is facing. We will try and work hard to unite the party. We are going to work hard to ensure that the party is united. I don't know where people are getting this notion that Zanu PF is chaotic from."
Elections in the remaining provinces would now be held next Saturday and measures would be taken to prevent the logistical challenges which affected the earlier votes.
"These elections will be held on 30 November. They will be held simultaneously throughout the country. The programme will be worked out by the national chairman, leading to the election on 30 November," said Gumbo.
"The major problem (with the last elections) was the lack of transport, but on Saturday, all logistics, ballot papers and boxes will be provided by the party. Mutasa has already indicated that everything was in place for those elections on Saturday.
"No candidate will provide resources for the elections. It is being done by the party."
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