adminThe party’s policies and the behaviour of its officials are debunking the façade of a democratic organisation. We are now realising that naming the party as the Movement for Democratic Change was a ploy to hide its real intentions.
Do not be fooled, there is no democracy in the MDC-T. And the evidence is there for all to see. That is why we were not surprised when the party resolved at its standing committee meeting last week that it will impose parliamentary candidates for the forthcoming harmonised elections.
Surely, this is far from practising democracy. The 96 MPs from the MDC-T are set to return to the Lower House without approval from the party’s supporters. MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora announced with a straight face on Thursday that the sitting candidates will be spared.
They are being given a second chance on a platter after the party came up with an opaque way of confirming them. The sitting MPs will have to be confirmed by two-thirds of the party’s leadership in their constituencies.
Those who do not make it will then undergo primary elections. What kind of democracy is that? The system encourages vote buying and corruption. The MDC-T is simply presenting a small group of people to the MP who can be easily manipulated. An MP cannot, obviously, bribe the whole constituency to win votes.
With the new system, the legislators can easily “deal” with the small group to get confirmation. In most cases, it turns out that the MP already has a “good” working relationship with most of those in the local leadership of the party. By denying people the right to choose parliamentary candidates, the
MDC-T is stifling democracy. It is introducing a new system of governance alien to the country. Zanu-PF, for example, has been spot-on with regards to primaries. It has proclaimed a zero tolerance on imposition of candidates and this has always been its norm.
By doing that, Zanu-PF is practising democracy from the grassroots. We note that the MDC-T is doing it the other way. It is practising democracy only for the elite. You have to in the upper echelons of the party and in the right circles for you to represent it.
Surely, this is an affront to democracy.
The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines democracy as “Government by elected representatives of the people”.
This widely accepted definition of democracy clearly contradicts the imposition of candidates. People must elect their representatives even at the lower levels of governance. The MDC-T is failing to copy from its handlers in the West. In the US, for instance, primary elections are religiously held.
All candidates, be they legislators or councillors are subjected to primaries. This is exactly how Zanu-PF does it. MDC-T’s methods of selecting candidates are contrary to modern politics.
Handpicking candidates is not acceptable in Zimbabwe’s democratic system. This shortchanges the electorate because there are far better candidates they would have chosen.
The MDC-T is also introducing a new system in Zimbabwe, which recognises being an MP as a career. The sitting MPs in party do not want to let go the luxuries that come with it. We will never be fooled.
The MDC-T’s actions have shown that the party has nothing to do with democracy.
People must be allowed to choose parliamentary candidates of their choice. The tenets of democracy demand just that.
Online Reporter