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Tsvangirai a preferred coalition presidential 2018 candidate - Mashakada
07 Apr 2017 at 06:52hrs | Views
An MDC-T senior member Tapiwa Mashakada has claimed that Morgan Tsvangirai is emerging to be the most preferred presidential candidate for the 2018 elections.
He said most people think that there should be in place a coalition of opposition parties to fight the next general elections and field a single candidate.
"And if the NERA rally is anything to go by indications are that Dr Morgan Tsvangirai seems to be the preferred leader of that envisaged coalition. But this is clearly putting the horse before the cart. Why do i say that," he said.
"In my opinion the next government will be an inclusive government not a coalition government. The difference between the two is that the latter is made up of deployees from the coalition partners whereas in the former, the winner appoints at his pleasure people who can serve in his/her government."
He said in the post election period the new President will have to implement a serious transformation and reform agenda and by their very nature coalition governments are not fit for transformation but are only good at stabilization and democratization not transformation.
"Which means that a post Mugabe era needs a leader who is given a singular mandate by the people to put in place an administration that is not albatrossed by coalition dynamics. The leader must not be a lame duck President. But he/she must be able to lead and take executive decisions to turn around the economy and transform the country using the mandate derived from the people not coalition partners," Mashakada said.
"A coalition President cannot implement a comprehensive and transformative agenda because he/she will be a consensus person and hence a compromised leader. I hope i am clear on the post Mugabe dispensation. Now I come back again to the present debate on coalition. My view is that Zimbabwe urgently needs a pre-election pact or coalition to force Mugabe to step down and to negotiate electoral reforms including enacting of the Presidential Transition Act in order to ensure a smooth transfer of power."
He said most people think that there should be in place a coalition of opposition parties to fight the next general elections and field a single candidate.
"And if the NERA rally is anything to go by indications are that Dr Morgan Tsvangirai seems to be the preferred leader of that envisaged coalition. But this is clearly putting the horse before the cart. Why do i say that," he said.
He said in the post election period the new President will have to implement a serious transformation and reform agenda and by their very nature coalition governments are not fit for transformation but are only good at stabilization and democratization not transformation.
"Which means that a post Mugabe era needs a leader who is given a singular mandate by the people to put in place an administration that is not albatrossed by coalition dynamics. The leader must not be a lame duck President. But he/she must be able to lead and take executive decisions to turn around the economy and transform the country using the mandate derived from the people not coalition partners," Mashakada said.
"A coalition President cannot implement a comprehensive and transformative agenda because he/she will be a consensus person and hence a compromised leader. I hope i am clear on the post Mugabe dispensation. Now I come back again to the present debate on coalition. My view is that Zimbabwe urgently needs a pre-election pact or coalition to force Mugabe to step down and to negotiate electoral reforms including enacting of the Presidential Transition Act in order to ensure a smooth transfer of power."
Source - Byo24News
