The Nelson Chamisa faction of the Movement for Democratic Change- Tsvangirai has not started holding its primary elections yet, the party’s presidential spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka said yesterday brushing off media reports that there are hiccups and violence in the candidate selection process.

He said the party was currently holding a “peaceful consensus process” where candidates are agreeing with one another on who should stand without any coercion.

“The party has not even begun its primary elections and is still holding peaceful consensus processes where candidates are agreeing with one another without coercion on who should stand. Where consensus fails, the candidates will hold primary elections, which are still to be held,” he said.

“For the record, the MDC-T has not even commenced its primary elections and is currently verifying its structures, auditing and validating the voters’ rolls that will be used in the primary elections.

“No single violence case has been reported but where such rare cases in the party might take place, the party wants such cases reported to the police and the culprits apprehended. The party will also take stern action against any such perpetrators of violence but as of now, no such case has been reported, contrary to false and malicious reports in the process.”

Tamborinyoka said the MDC-T was concerned about attempts to “equalize the party with the ZANU-PF, which held chaotic and violent primary elections last week”.

“The MDC has a different culture and will hold clean and transparent primary elections that will breed a legitimate outcome and yield popular candidates.

“We believe in transparency and our candidate selection process is grounded in the people where popular candidates in the constituencies will be allowed to represent the party at all levels.

“By next week, the MDC-T will be done with its internal processes and will have a full and comprehensive panel of candidates at all levels.”

Acting national chairman Morgen Komichi previously announced that the candidate selection would be completed by 12 May.

The MDC-T is a member of a seven-party coalition which has distributed seats among the parties.

Welshman Ncube’s MDC has already announced its 31 candidates.

Tendai Biti’s People’s Democratic Party has also announced its nine candidates.

Chamisa’s MDC-T was allocated 114 candidates.

Other parties in the coalition that are still to unveil their candidates are: the Zimbabwe People First faction led by Agrippa Mutamba, Transform Zimbabwe, ZANU-Ndonga and the Multi-Racial Christian Democrats.