Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) MDC-T needs an ideology

MDC-T needs an ideology
James Tandi - Opinion
Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:42:00 +0000

THE Movement for Democratic Change party led by Morgan Tsvangirai is slowly losing its lustre. The recent poll conducted by the party online shows just how desperate the party has become in trying to define the next course.

For a party that claims to have solid roots, it is an act of desperation to formulate policy on the basis of an online poll. Afterall, how many people have access to the internet, especially in rural Zimbabwe?

Whom are they trying to fool here? They simply wanted to legitimize their stay in the inclusive Government after a series of threats to pull out. Why would they consult people on pulling out, when they didn't consult them about joining in?

The leadership of the MDC-T is simply clueless as to what the next step is.

The party is slowly losing its teeth. The endless list of demands and the failure to come up with a viable solution for the problems in Zimbabwe is slowly paralyzing that party.

Any political party should have its own ideology rooted in the interests and concerns of its support base. The MDC-T lacks this. It is simply a protest party and when there is nothing to protest about, it simply becomes a hotch-potch of ideas and interests that often run parallel to each other.

Look at how the marriage with Dr Lovemore Madhuku's National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) ended, and how the party is losing favour with the students' groups and other civil society organisations in the country.

The NCA is clear on its dubious agenda. Students know what their demands are. Women's groups and workers know what they protest for. The MDC-T party is simply clueless as to what it really stands for; hence its on/off stance on sanctions, etc.

It was rather sad to hear that party's secretary general Tendai Biti saying that he was forced into the inclusive Government, as if he had no option. He had an option: to not join. If he had any ideology he would have stuck with it, but like his party, he does not.

This is why the MDC-T often finds itself at the mercy of groups like the SADC and African Union. These organisations simply do not know what the MDC-T exactly stands for. Even their vowed friend, Batswana president Ian Khama seems to have gotten tired of the party's political yo-yo.

James Tandi
London, UK

Labels: COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, MDC, NEOLIBERALISM

posted by MrK @ 3:42 AM