MDC says one dictator is enough

The Movement for Democratic Change has no intention of mimicking or replicating the structures of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front because one dictator is enough.

Party spokesman, Luke Tamborinyoka, who is also party leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s spokesman, said the current MDC constitutional review was about reviewing and strengthening the institution and was not about individuals.

There has been speculation that the review is aimed at strengthening the powers of Tsvangirai by creating similar structures to those of ZANU-PF which have made succession ambiguous.

“One dictator in a country is enough, in the name of a President, First secretary of his party, Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces and chancellor of all State Universities. Contrary to mischievous press reports, the MDC as a democratic party has no intention whatsoever to mimic and replicate such arrant nonsense,” Tamborinyoka said in a statement.

“The MDC is currently gathering the views of its grassroots members in the provinces ahead of a review of the party constitution.  The process has nothing to do with entrenching anyone’s position but strengthening the party as an institution.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the MDC is a democratic party and the review exercise is only meant to remove vagueness, enhance clarity and to input any other objective voice of the people informed by our collective experience as a party that has been in existence for 15 years.

“Zimbabwe has had a bad experience of autocracy, dictatorship and the abuse of the constitutions .The MDC and President Morgan Tsvangirai pledge to the people of this country that the exercise will be a truly objective process; a process that will not be abused to constitutionally anoint a tin-pot dictator in the MDC leadership, as has been wrongly peddled by others.”

Full statement:

Thursday, 14 August 2014

MDC constitutional review about strengthening the institution, not about individuals

The MDC is currently gathering the views of its grassroots members in the provinces ahead of a review of the party constitution.

The process has nothing to do with entrenching anyone’s position but strengthening the party as an institution. For the avoidance of doubt, the MDC is a democratic party and the review exercise is only meant to remove vagueness, enhance clarity and to input any other objective voice of the people informed by our collective experience as a party that has been in existence for 15 years.

Zimbabwe has had a bad experience of autocracy, dictatorship and the abuse of the Constitutions .The MDC and President Morgan Tsvangirai pledge to the people of this country that the exercise will be a truly objective process; a process that will not be abused to constitutionally anoint a tin-pot dictator in the MDC leadership, as has been wrongly peddled by others.

We say no to the creation of dictators through clauses, verses and chapters of our Constitutional  review. We are certain that the fears of the doomsayers are grossly misplaced.

In any case, the Constitutional review exercise is not meant to enhance the powers of any person as all Congress offices are being treated as faceless vacancies as no one at this stage, including President Tsvangirai, has been nominated by any province.

As the current leader of our democratic party, President Tsvangirai will not allow the process to degenerate into the creation of all-powerful individuals, especially in the Presidency. Zimbabwe has sad stories to tell on the abuse of the powers of an executive President and we have learnt that autocracy is a monumental vice that cannot be mimicked, even in a party constitution.

In his address t Matabeleland South province recently, President Tsvangirai repeated the adage that Constitutions are not made for the angels we know, but for the devils we don’t know. We pledge to safeguard the democratic credentials of the MDC and to ensure that every office bearer, including and especially the party Presidency, or any other office for that matter, is vaccinated from the whims of individuals. President Tsvangirai has spent half his life fighting all-powerful individuals and he certainly will not be a cheerleader to the creation of dictators.

In any case, the next MDC Congress is not necessarily about elections and positions. The MDC Congress will not only be busy with issues of Constitutional review but will also deal with the review of the party’s policy programme.

The Congress delegates will deliberate and adopt party programmes as well as a clear roadmap to the next election, whenever it will be held. There have to be clear signposts on what the party will do ahead of the next election, which we pledge to contest only on condition that reforms are implemented so that we do not perpetually breed contested electoral outcomes.

Instead, the constitutional review process is part of the MDC's organizational transformation meant to grossly change and improve the way the organization conducts its business through the various offices and departments.

While elections at this Congress will definitely be held to showcase our democratic credentials and to highlight the proper platform at which leaders are removed and installed in the party, we have no intention to create another dictator through any of our Congress processes.

Without pre-empting anything in the exercise, which is still on-going, the MDC has never believed in arrogating power to individuals but to party organs and processes with a view to improve on democracy and the attendant checks and balances necessary in a democratic party.

One dictator in a country is enough, in the name of a President, First secretary of his party, Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces and chancellor of all State Universities. Contrary to mischievous press reports, the MDC as a democratic party has no intention whatsoever to mimic and replicate such arrant nonsense.

Luke Tamborinyoka

Presidential Spokesperson

Movement for Democratic Change  

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