In the MDC, party organs are bigger than individuals. Individual whims and caprices are subordinate to the will of the majority. Whether an individual has chosen to stay away from the meeting, or whether one’s position was in the minority the majority decision becomes the party position as long as the meeting was quorate, as last Thursday’s national council meeting was.
It is this august body, the national council that gave the President the powers to increase his own deputies by appointment. In any case the MDC constitution gives powers to the national council to run the party in between Congresses. Article 6.4.1 and 6.4.2 (a) of the party Constitution give the national council absolute power not only to implement congress resolutions but to run the party between Congresses. In addition, Article 16.1 of the party Constitution says such powers include the power to determine “the process of any selection including the power of making any appointment to any position.”
It is this body that gave the President the directive to appoint his deputies. This directive should be read within the broader context of the fact that the 4th Congress of October 2014 gave the MDC President the powers to make appointments into the standing committee, on top of the elected officials. These are the powers the party President used to appoint the secretary for elections, Hon. Murisi Zwizwai into the standing committee as secretary for elections and Hon. Amos Chibaya as deputy organizing secretary following the death of Hon. Thamsanqa Mahlangu.
In addition, Article 9.1.1 (f) says the party president shall perform any function, duty and exercise any power as directed by the national council.
The President was also given powers to directly supervise standing committee members, reshuffle or transfer them to other departments. That is why soon after the death of Hon. Mahlangu, the secretary for elections, Hon. Zwizwai was temporarily transferred to act as deputy organizing secretary.
Some have raised valid issues concerning gender and tribe but as President Tsvangirai pointed out last week, it was the nature of the job that needed to be done that determined the candidates that were appointed and not any other factor. It did not matter where the cats came from. As long as they catch mice!
We are a democratic party and naturally members see things differently. That difference and diversity of opinion should be celebrated but in the end, it is the majority opinion that prevails. Last Thursday, the majority opinion of the party’s supreme decision-making body between Congresses gave Morgan Tsvangirai powers to increase the number of his deputies.
In a democracy, the sentiment that loses the debate must not take it to heart. Whether you lost the vote in a meeting, or you chose not to attend, your personal whims and preferences must be subordinate to the majority sentiment. In the MDC, it is the collective and not the individual that reigns supreme.
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