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Joseph Madzimure Senior Reporter
FOR years, the country’s opposition has always boasted of being democratic but the cosmetics are peeling off, revealing beneath the façade a hideous sight abhorrent to democratic ideals.
Some perspective perhaps.
Journalists were beaten in the recently held CCC candidate selection process, candidates fought, and the whole process was mired by controversies which have caused an inordinate delay in the announcement of the final results amid fears of massive behind-the-scenes manipulation of the outcome.
This manner in which the elections were held has prompted analysts to conclude that the CCC leadership, which was self-imposed, is nothing but a stuttering bandwagon led by a tinpot dictator who does not believe in democracy but rather the imposition of candidates.
For starters, democracy exhorts people to rule and not leaders to be imposed as was the case in the CCC elections which were characterised by violence, reports of imposition of candidates, and other malpractices.
Political analyst and researcher, Mr Misheck Kuvarega, noted that the world over, all democratic political parties go through primaries when they are choosing candidates to run for public office.
This tried and tested method of holding primaries, he said, ensures that party cadres can exercise their democratic right to choose candidates of their choice.
“This is not democracy. CCC is going through an opaque process of choosing candidates, a process that does not allow their party cadres to vote for their preferred candidates. Ultimately, this gives CCC leader Nelson Chamisa a chance to handpick his political lackeys under the guise of so-called citizen participation,” said Mr Kuvarega.
“It’s not surprising because Chamisa himself has always felt uneasy and uncomfortable when he is surrounded by other ambitious and scheming politicians such as Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube. This is the very reason why his organisation, which is essentially a personality cult revolving around his delusional ‘Godisinit’ mantra, doesn’t have any structures”.
He said that nowhere in the world has a party without structures assumed State powers.
“Just wait and see the implosion of the CCC after the humiliating electoral annihilation that will soon be delivered upon them courtesy of a resurgent and buoyant Zanu PF.
“Characters such as his vice presidents Biti and Ncube are biding their time. They are just waiting for the moment to pounce on Chamisa as soon as he loses the forthcoming elections,” Mr Kuvarega said.
Another political analyst Dr Augustine Tirivangana scoffed at the CCC candidate selection process saying implosion is inevitable.
“Any rational mind even of average fibre could discern that. What would anyone expect from a party without a strategic structure. Literally every sane critic has bemoaned such an experiment”.
Dr Tirivangana described the candidate selection process in the opposition as high school politics.
“The imposition of candidates best demonstrates the fact that there is no internal democracy in the party, if it is a party at all.
“Compared to the just ended Zanu PF primary elections which have stunned literally every critic with their demonstration of internal democratic processes, what the CCC is doing is a descent into decrepitude, into totalitarian abyss typical of unparalleled despots. What that will do is essentially kill all legitimate voices of opposition and literally drive them to vote Zanu PF come election time. One might as well predict that the die has been cast in favour of the ruling party”.
Another political analyst and researcher, Mr Gibson Nyikadzino, said the imposition of candidates by Mr Chamisa is reflective of his desire to centralise power in the CCC party.
“The chaos that is happening is now emanating from the dissatisfaction of the people in the politics of exclusion by quasi-inclusion championed by Chamisa. Political organisation is a science and this chaos is showing that there is no scientific application in the methods Chamisa wants to use in selecting or nominating candidates, except that he wants to impose candidates,” said Mr Nyikadzino.
Mr Caution Torovei, a political analyst, weighed in saying the so-called masters of democracy are imposing candidates on the electorate.
“This is unheard of. You can’t expect a party without structures to taste power. CCC leadership has some dictatorship tenets”.
The move, he said, was meant to eliminate those who received US$40 000 from Parliament as housing grants.
A disgruntled CCC supporter who preferred anonymity said: “Chamisa is imposing candidates on us. We do not want imposition of candidates, we are not seeing our names in the party structures, we are disappointed,” he said.
In Beitbridge West and at a number of other wards in the district, the nominations were reportedly abandoned altogether.
During the selection process, several parliamentary hopefuls accused presiding officers of conducting the exercise at secluded venues not known to other candidates in the border town.
Some people who took part in the process also appeared confused by a complicated nomination procedure adopted by the party, which is not holding primary elections.
Candidates were nominated by CCC supporters before “community stakeholders” from their wards and constituencies settled on one candidate after assessing their “good standing in the movement”, “good standing in the community” and their “security risk.”
Online Reporter