FULL THREAD: Postponing MDC Extraordinary Congress In 2018 Was A Masterstroke - Analyst
Political analyst Davis Laque believes that the MDC Alliance was right to postpone the holding of an Extraordinary Congress (EOC) to choose a new leader after founding president Morgan Tsvangirai had died in February 2018.
Laque opines that the harmonised elections were very close and holding a potentially divisive congress risked the party’s cohesion, considering that the then co-vice president Elias Mudzuri and secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora had their own unrestrained ambitions.
We present Laque’s full thread on Twitter:
I once argued that, whereas the jury post the demise of [Morgan Tsvangirai] MRT was that Nelson chamisa hijacked the party and assumed power illegally because of his fear of the “EOC” as prescribed by the MDC-T constitution is shallow and simplistic. The extraordinary congress (EOC) was the legal yet DIFFICULT “next step”.
The EOC would have spelled doom for the MDC-T party, let alone the ALLIANCE, whos existence was hinged on a stable MDC-T. With Khupe already having had left, with Senator Elias Mudzuri and Senator Douglas Mwonzora doing their shenanigans, even with the benefit of hindsight, pushing the EOC made political sense.
Politicians are just obsessed with political power. Everyone wants to be President. Even those who know they have nothing new to offer. I’ve followed Mwonzora for instance. Respectfully, I’m still wondering why he thinks he should led the MDC-T. He offers nothing new nor exciting.
It’s not healthy nor “democratic” for a small and struggling party like the MDC-T to have 5 people fiercely angling for the Presidency. What good does it do their function when that very bickering has led to public spats? Why not concentrate on “building the institution” 1st?
Here are some interesting thoughts from the party’s last elected Organising Secretary Mr Adednico Bhebhe: “I have refused to be part of that circus where the top leadership is obsessed with mindlessly recalling party members without concentrating on rebuilding it…
Bhebhe: “All THEY have done since the court ruling is to recall while no programme to develop the organisation has been considered.The recalls are damaging an already fragile party.I have always made it a point that I speak my mind in the standing committee and other platforms”.
Bhebhe: “I have opposed the behaviour that has now permeated to provinces where individuals just come up with names to say so and so must be recalled so that someone is seen as wielding a lot of power hence members are obliged to follow them at congress for fear of being recalled”.
I’m not saying the MDC-T shouldn’t have gone for the EOC, all things being equal. Rather that their egos would have destroyed the MDC-ALLIANCE itself. Recall the election was just 3 months away. Such is the tragedy of our politics. Ambitions over common sense.
More: Davis Laque on Twitter
