Tsvangirai says appointment of Chamisa and Mudzuri was above board -Khupe was consulted

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai today quashed reports that are being peddled by the State media that the appointment of Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri as vice-presidents last week was unconstitutional saying the appointments were above board and were even sanctioned by party vice-president Thokozani Khupe.

State media has over the past few days rubbished the appointments arguing that they were unconstitutional and were aimed at appeasing a clique that is financing the treatment of Tsvangirai who disclosed last month that he had cancer.

Tsvangirai said the decision to appoint the two was reached after a nine hour meeting of the national executive which met first for four hours and made recommendations to the national council which sat for another five hours.

“The national council is the party’s supreme decision-making body in between congresses and is mandated to make policy decisions. At every Congress, council makes a report to Congress on the decisions that it would have made in the five years between the Congresses,” Tsvangirai said in a statement released by his spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka.

“The party president does not have to consult individuals. He consults structures, party organs and the constitution. And this was duly done. For the record, on the morning of Friday, 17 July 2016, the President spoke to all national leaders, including vice president Thokozani Khupe, about the appointments he was going to make in line with the directive of the national council.

“Contrary to some misguided and mischievous views being peddled on the political market, split opinions do not necessarily mean that an organisation will split. Split opinions are the very essence and oxygen of democracy and they do not amount to a split of the institution.

“The appointments of Eng. Elias Mudzuri and Advocate Nelson Chamisa was okayed by a superior organ of the party. Any two or individuals plotting under a tree can never be above the national council of the party, whatever their political station in the party hierarchy.

“The two appointments satisfy the constitution. They satisfy the directive of the council and the expectations of ordinary Zimbabweans within and without the party structures who have welcomed the increased number of the president’s lieutenants in the cockpit of the party.”

The statement described as mischievous attempts to brand Tsvangirai as a dictator who does not consult.

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