What’s in a name in politics?

In Zimbabwe, the famous break-up was that of the former Zapu when those who left the party went on to form their political party which they named Zanu, later to become the present Zanu-PF.
But what has been happening on the political scene is quite amazing. When some politicians left MDC and went on to form another MDC, surely, this was most confusing to the ordinary people. Later on, in order to seek an identity, the parties started being known by initials of the presidents of the parties.

One party was then referred to as MDC-T and another as MDC-M. Not to be outdone, another grouping was known as MDC-99. Still the splits continued with another party known as MDC-N.
Besides the names of the parties, what many people may want to know is whether there are any ideological differences among these different groupings.
A senior official of one of the parties tried to shed light on why these parties have the same name.

His explanation was that they had to use the same name because they were afraid of losing properties which were originally registered in the name of the first MDC, which was formed in 1999. On being pressed on what type of properties the various MDC parties wanted to share, the senior official was quick to say that, the properties consisted of cars, buildings and houses.

So, the use of the same name of the party lays claim to these properties if the matter is taken to court.
But the matter of concern is the identity of the parties and their ideologies and, in short, what they stand for. Everybody knows that the electorate is not made up of only party members who may vote in primaries to select candidates to stand for office, but is made up of non-members who require to be convinced to vote for a particular party on the strength of its manifesto.

Surely, the Zimbabwean electorate deserves political parties that are distinct not only in ideology but also in different identifiable names. The Press now refers to the two MDC formations, something that is confusing to the public. As the country prepares for elections, maybe in 2012, the Zimbabwean electorate should be spared the confusion of party names.
If the system of proportional representation is adopted in the new constitution where the names of the parties play a major role, unlike the present constituency system, the voter will be completely lost as to which party they would vote for.

Be as it may, it is imperative that the electoral commission should register parties for the next elections without this confusion of same party names. The politicians must not hide behind one party but form their own distinct parties without fearing to lose MPs that may have been elected after endorsement by one party. The senior official of one party accepted the argument of forming a distinct party after the dissolution of Parliament.

Will this not be too late for name identification with the public? He was adamant that the time has come to cut the strings from the original MDC which is now referred to as MDC-T. The Zimbabwe political scene is bound to go through an exciting period if reports that leaders of political parties will address joint rallies to urge their supporters to refrain from political violence.
The question to be asked is whether the political violence is perpetrated by only three political parties? Why not include all political parties to come together to address the issue of violence? It would be better, even to invite religious groups to address the issue of violence in society.

It has been reported that factions of different churches have been in the habit of fighting each other over properties and places of worship. It would be a welcome development if all these religious groups were included in trying to educate the public against violence. This should not be the preserve of political parties since violence against women and children should also be addressed at these rallies. Political parties should adopt an inclusive agenda when talking about violence of any description in society, whether perpetrated for political purposes or just for wanton destruction of the fabric of society.

One political scientist wanted to know what was in a name. Many people believe that a name makes all the difference. More so for those who want to propagate their philosophy? When we listen to what politicians say at their rallies, we see a distinct difference in approach to the issues facing the country.

This may not be just politicking but the real bread and butter issues. On one hand we hear Zanu-PF politicians talking about empowerment and indigenisation while other parties are talking about investment and job creation.