25/09/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
MDC-T members who contested the last elections as independents will seek to join the new party expected to be formed by National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) chair, Lovemore Madhuku, it was confirmed this week.
The rebels formed the Independent Candidates Coalition (ICC) ahead of the July polls after failing to contest the vote on the MDC-T ticket due to what they described as gross irregularities in the conduct of the party’s primary elections.
The MDC-T successfully petitioned the courts to block them from using its open palm symbol and pictures of party leader Morgan Tsvangirai arguing they would confuse supporters ahead of the elections which it then lost by a landslide to Zanu PF.
Tsvangirai refuses to concede defeat, claiming the elections were rigged but some MDC-T activists say the imposition of candidates by the leadership undermined the party’s chances.
Meanwhile, the disgruntled members held a meeting in the Midlands city of Gweru early this week where it was agreed they would seek to join Madhuku’s prospective party after realising they had “no future in the MDC-T”.
Key figures who attended the meeting include Emmanuel Chiroto, Felix Magalela Mafa, Aaron Chinhara who lost the MDC-T primaries for Redcliff, Samuel Sandla Khumalo who wanted to represent the MDC-T in the Magwegwe constituency and former Sunningdale councillor Musa Macheza.
“We formed a six member steering committee at the meeting whose responsibility among others would be that of crafting a position paper stating what we want in the new political party,” one of the officials told NewZimbabwe.com.
“We have realised that there is no future for us in the MDC-T. The party imposed candidates on our constituencies in the last election meaning that we are no longer wanted; hence the decision to join the Madhuku-led political party.
“Our steering committee will meet in Bulawayo to fine tune the draft position paper before the NCA congress. They will also meet Madhuku before the launch of (his) party for the presentation of the final position paper.”
Madhuku has confirmed he would step-down from the NCA which has been campaigning for a new constitution and opposed the charter adopted by the last coalition government saying it was not people-driven.
The NCA will hold its congress in Harare at the weekend where a decision will be taken on whether to transform the organisation into a political party.
“The first point of discussion would be the future of the organisation,” Madhuku said told reporters this week.
“If the organisation decides to use civic methods, which have failed, then I am stepping down but if we are to form a political party then I believe the current leadership would want to pursue our quest to have a democratic constitution.
“We are not abandoning our agenda, that is of a new democratic constitution and we simply want to use other avenues through a structure like a political party.”
Labels: LOVEMORE MADHUKU, MDC, PARLIAMENT (ZW)
posted by MrK @ 10:32 AM
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