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perceived reforms yet the party has been in overdrive preparing for the elections.
The party has been the most active of the parties in the inclusive Government in preparing for the elections, holding primaries and the controversial confirmation exercise for sitting legislators countrywide as well as convening a policy conference and launching its programme of rallies with a star rally at the historic Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield on May 20.
Zanu-PF, on the other hands, is still to finalise rules and regulations to guide its primary elections let alone announce a primary poll date though the party is said to have finished compiling its manifesto.
The other MDC formation was still to conclude candidate selection.
Though MDC-T has been first off the block in preparations, reports from Harvest House say the party is struggling to come up with a campaign message to counter Zanu-PF’s indigenisation and economic empowerment drive that has since spawned 59 community share ownership schemes and several employee ownership trusts countrywide.
The British paper, the Guardian, said as much in an article headlined “How Morgan Tsvangirai Can Beat Robert Mugabe” last Tuesday where it urged MDC-T to adopt a campaign message “reminiscent of Mugabe’s tone” if it is to stand a chance at the elections.
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“In recent elections in Zambia and Kenya, the victors — Michael Sata and Uhuru Kenyatta — ran sustained anti–Western campaigns that drew the support of the young and educated.
“If the opposition wants to succeed, they might as well embrace nationalism and adopt a position where they argue that they are the best guarantor of the independence legacy that has been betrayed by Zanu-PF. In other words, this time around Tsvangirai might need to wage a more populist, more aggressive campaign that might even be reminiscent of Mugabe’s tone (though moderated).
“Tsvangirai should also attempt to convince some of Mugabe’s softer supporters that he can secure the gains of the current regime, such as land reform. This will put Zanu-PF in a defensive mode, and deprive them of ammunition to attack Tsvangirai as a neo-imperialist agent. The trouble with adopting such a strategy is that it needs time, and there is precious little of that if elections are indeed to be held by the 31 July,’’ the paper said in part.
Political analysts yesterday rapped MDC-T for double talk, saying the party was grandstanding for outsiders when it was busy preparing for elections at home.
This, they said, indicated the party’s reliance on foreigners for advice and instruction.
“The problem with the MDC-T is that they do not make decisions on their own, even on internal matters. It looks like the decision on their participation on important national matters is determined by outsiders, especially the US and the Europeans.
“As Zimbabweans they know that elections are going to take place that is why they are preparing for them, but these voices (from outside) that they listen to are speaking something different all together,” University of Zimbabwe Political Science Department Dr Charity Manyeruke said yesterday.
Mr Goodwine Mureriwa of the Zimbabwe Revolutionary Volunteers concurred accusing the MDC-T of playing hide and seek with the people.
“The problem with the MDC-T is they have a boycott mentality. They are taking a cue from Lindiwe Zulu’s (Jacob Zuma International Relations advisor) utterances because she thinks South Africa has supra-jurisdiction to override our courts in Zimbabwe.
“They think South Africa has extra territorial jurisdiction over Zimbabwe. They do not understand that Zimbabwe is a sovereign country and no matter what Sadc says it cannot override our courts. The MDC-T have been playing hide and seek, they know that elections are coming,’’ he said.
Mr Gabriel Chaibva said the MDC-T’s foreign funders were now dictating events.
“They are clueless because they have not been hand-held by the foreign funders which explains why they are coming with all sorts of excuses to delay elections.
“It is surprising that they are preparing for the elections and then make those frivolous and contemptuous statements about the Constitutional Court judgment. They should know that the Constitutional Court is the final arbiter, their decisions are final and binding,” Mr Chaibva said.
MDC-T held its policy conference last month where they launched their policy document dubbed the Agenda for Real Transformation which is copy and pasted from existing government documents.
The party says policy will form the basis of its policies if elected to govern.
Soon after the policy conference the party also held a star rally at Zimbabwe grounds in Highfield as part of the preparations for the harmonised elections.
The MDC-T has since conducted confirmation and primary elections in most parts of the country and is expected to complete the exercise this weekend in the remaining provinces of Masvingo and Manicaland.
Several recent surveys have pointed to a Zanu-PF victory at the elections amidst dwindling support for the MDC-T manifest in loss of grassroots support and allies.
Online Reporter