Chamisa in crucial party meeting today

The Movement for Democratic Change led by Nelson Chamisa is to hold a crucial meeting today at which it will map the way forward.

The party which leads the Alliance lost its name to Thokozani Khupe who contested the elections under the MDC-T name though the case over the use of the name is still before the courts.

One of the crucial questions is likely to be whether to turn the Alliance into a party or for the seven partners to continue under their previous identities.

There are also reports that the meeting could turn ugly as there are divisions within the party over Chamisa’s leadership style.

Some of the party members might want to go for leaders like secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and party vice-president Elias Mudzuri who privately say they are against Chamisa’s leadership style but publicly stand behind him.

Mwonzora is reported to have complained that Chamisa does not listen to advice.

One of the issues that has been raised is that of the Constitutional Court ruling that dismissed Chamisa’s case to have the 30 July victory of President Emmerson Mnangagwa invalidated.

Initially the party accepted the ruling but later rejected it. Chamisa has gone a step further and wants to approach the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights to challenge the Constitutional Court ruling.

The party has launched a fund-raising campaign to raise funds for its legal fees as well as for the petition.

Also at issue will be the future of Chamisa himself.

Mwonzora, Mudzuri and some of the senior party officials like Morgen Komichi and Happymore Chidziva were all elected into the new Parliament either as legislators or senators.

While there have been suggestions that Mnangagwa should introduced a British style system where the leader of the opposition is on government payroll, most of Chamisa’s supporters are not likely to accept that.

This was amply demonstrated by comments from his followers yesterday when he tweeted that he had met the British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Catriona Laing.

“THE FUTURE IS VERY BRIGHT…. Had a great meeting with the British Ambasador @CatrionaLaing1 on Zimbabwe’s economy, national debt, governance and the post-election way forward.Zim-UK relations key flourish!!!”

Scores of his supporters implored him not to join a government of national unity as they thought this was what the meeting could have been about.

Mnangagwa’s lieutenants have also opposed a government of national unity because of the difficult time Chamisa has given the new administration.

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