Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) MDC Mutambara is finished, says expert

MDC Mutambara is finished, says expert
Floyd Nkomo
Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:51:00 +0000

THE Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-M) formation led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara "will be finished" by the next election as divisions rock the leadership of that party, according to a top University of Zimbabwe lecturer.

“It is a party that is on its way out,” said Professor Eldred Masunungure, a political science lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.

“The sun is setting on the party. The leadership is mishandling the situation. Were it not for the inclusive Government, I think by now the party would be history."

Prof Masunungure said the MDC-M party has transformed from being a powerful minority in the House of Assembly to being the "most desperate" party.

"From being a powerful minority in Parliament, they are now the biggest and most desperate beneficiaries of the inclusive Government. We have by-elections coming shortly, I do not know what will happen to them," said Prof Masunungure.

Prof Masunungure also questioned Prof Mutambara’s leadership. In recent months, he said, the former student leader, has shown serious errors of judgement that put his leadership credentials into question.

“You may be competent in other fields but you may not necessarily be good at politics,” said Prof Masunungure.

“You have to have a political instinct, political skill. People must be able to recognise a political leader when they see one. But I am afraid he (Prof Mutambara) doesn’t seem to be one. I am a political scientist but I keep away from politics because I think I am not a good politician.”

Wrecked by power struggles, indiscipline and open verbal attacks on its leadership, the MDC-M appears to have lost its cohesion thereby throwing its future in doubt. Infighting has decimated party structures with the creation of two factions.

The formation held 10 seats in the House of Assembly and six in the Senate at the time of the formation of the inclusive Government and was seen as a powerful minority in Parliament as neither Zanu PF nor MDC-T - the two major parties - could have their way in the legislature without its (MDC-M) support.

The long-running crisis within the MDC-M party has seen three of their MPs — Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East), Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi South) and Njabuliso Mguni (Lupane East) ejected from Parliament last week and the emergence of a splinter group apparently led by suspended national executive member, Job Sikhala who claims to have ousted Prof Mutambara.

A previously unknown MDC member, Edwin Dzambara, said he is now the Acting MDC-M Secretary-General and in his letter to the Speaker said all “legitimate communication from our formation will come only from myself”.

Peter Baka Nyoni, an independent analyst and newspaper columnist, said that the future of MDC-M is uncertain.

He said with the first anniversary of the signing of the Global Political Agreement due in three weeks after which parties to that pact would be free to compete against each other in by-elections, it looks the MDC-M could lose its position as a significant player in national politics.

“It is doubtful they will keep the three seats. It is a bit precarious for them,” said Nyoni.

“The MDC-M leader is confusing,” added Nyoni.

“He does not have a stable position to project. I think members of his party are also embarrassed by his performance. I thought by now, he would have grasped some of these basic political skills.”

MDC-M secretary for legal affairs, Senator David Coltart recently admitted there was instability in the party.

“We clearly have a cancer within our party,” he told a radio station, “and when you have cancer, you have two choices: either you don’t operate and let it spread throughout the whole body, and it will kill you ultimately, or you try and deal with the cancer and root out that cancer.

"It can still kill you after you have rooted it out, but at least you have a chance of survival.”

By-elections are expected soon in Bulilima East, Nkayi South and Lupane East after parliament expelled the three former MPs. More by-elections are due in a number of other constituencies whose representatives either died or took up other political posts in government.

Labels: ARTHUR MUTAMBARA, MDC-M

posted by MrK @ 4:35 PM