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The Zimbabwe Independent
By Phillip Pasirayi

TAKURA Zhangazha wrote an incisive piece entitled, “MDC: looking beyond leadership crisis”, (The Standard, October 21).

In his analysis of the political developments in the MDC, Zhangazha argues that the differences on whether the party must, or must not, participate in the senate elections are symptomatic of a serious departure by the leadership from the party’s founding principles and what he calls the creeping in of “political elitism” that feeds on patron-client networks.

Zhangazha argues: “Elitism has the tendency to emerge in a period where a party or an organisation becomes too comfortable with itself, and negates the principles upon which it was founded.

Morgan Tsvangirai gravely erred in allowing this sort of elitism to creep in, where a system of patronage about who participates in parliament or not becomes the order of the day. Or alternatively, where the “top six” begin to behave as though they were a Zanu PF presidium and in the process battle for control of as elite an organ as the National Council as if that is what the party was formed for.

There can be no analysis that surpasses the one the writer shares with us in trying to understand why over the years the MDC and its leadership have behaved in the manner they did. If the opposition party was still as consultative and as inclusive as it was from the onset, there was not going to be any problems such as the petty differences that its leadership shows at the moment.

Although I have argued in previous installments that differences and the essence of democratic discourse, especially in a big political party like the MDC are necessary, the way the MDC leadership is behaving is amateurish and to the best of my understanding, retrogressive.

The Herald

Herald Reporters - NINE out of the 12 MDC provinces have endorsed the forthcoming Senate elections by successfully filing nomination papers in 26 constituencies at the close of the nomination courts yesterday.

This has left the ruling Zanu-PF with 19 uncontested seats and its candidates automatically become Senators.

The remaining seats are being contested between Zanu-PF and independent candidates.

The opposition party defied its president Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s calls to boycott the elections by fielding candidates in Harare, Chitungwiza, Masvingo, Mashonaland West, Midlands North and South, Matabeleland North and South and Bulawayo.

The MDC failed to nominate candidates in Mashonaland East, Central and Manicaland amid allegations of intimidation and violence against those who sought to lodge their papers with the nomination courts.

In Masvingo province two small opposition parties - Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance and the Peace for Action - fielded candidates in Masvingo and Chiredzi-Zaka constituencies.

The total number of MDC candidates came to 26 after another candidate, Mr Author Masimba Furamera, who wanted to stand in Chinhoyi, was disqualified for bringing inappropriate identity particulars. This means that the pro-participation lobby prevailed over Mr Tsvangirai by a margin of 52 percent to 48.

The nomination turnout mirrored the MDC national council’s vote of October 12 which stood at 33 to 31 votes in favour of taking part, translating to a 57 to 43 percent victory for the pro-participation camp led by secretary general Professor Welshman Ncube.

MDC spokesman Mr Paul Themba-Nyathi said the fact that nine out of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces - or nine out of the MDC’s 12 provinces - filed nomination papers means the many in the MDC are guided by democratic ideals and want to see their party adhering to its founding principles of free democratic expression.

Zimbabwe Independent
by: Ray Matikinye

THE low-level conflict that emerged from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)’s national executive council meeting last Wednesday over whether or not to participate in the forthcoming election for a revived senate has cast a long shadow over the party’s ability to forge a united front to fight Zanu PF.

The squabbles threaten to tear apart the six-year-old opposition party that has mounted the sternest challenge yet to President Robert Mugabe’s 25-year grip on power.

An announcement by party leader Morgan Tsvangirai against participation after the meeting and a countermand by information secretary Paul Themba Nyathi have confirmed public perceptions of widening divisions in the opposition movement due to blurred policies.

Tsvangirai, who has in the past been blamed for electoral losses and lack of leadership qualities, is unwilling to repeat past mistakes that placed the party at a disadvantage by contesting elections on a lopsided playing field.

“Our reasons for calling for a boycott of senatorial elections are well-grounded,” he said in a statement. “The electoral management system in Zimbabwe is still a recipe for political disasters. The system breeds illegitimate outcomes and provides for a predetermined result.”

Opposition supporters are as divided as the leaders themselves on how to deal with the impasse. But Tsvangirai seems to have invested heavily in the belief that the electorate wants no further collaboration with a system that is institutionally flawed.

“Given our experience in the past six years, the party’s new thrust is to turn the corner, to chart a new direction against the dictatorship,” he said. “We are engaged in a full-scale organisational programme to build people power and confidence to take on Zanu PF.”