News / National
Two more provinces back Tsvangirai for MDC presidency
21 Apr 2011 at 12:18hrs | Views
Mashonaland West and Masvingo provinces of the MDC-T will back Tsvangirai as their presidential candidate at the party's congress in Bulawayo next week.
The endorsement of Tsvangirai's candidature by the two provinces comes days after the Manicaland province had already indicated it will also back him as president of the labour based party formed by former trade unionists in 1999.
The organising secretary for the MDC-T, Wilson Makanyaire, confirmed that the Mashonaland West province had unanimously agreed to rally behind Tsvangirai.
"The MDC Mashonaland province has endorsed President Richard Morgan Tsvangirai to be the president at the congress elections," Makanyaire said.
Masvingo province also unanimously agreed that Tsvangirai should remain president of the party.
The Masvingo party executive also nominated Masvingo Urban legislator and deputy minister of Youth Empowerment and Indigenisation, Tongai Matutu, for the position of party spokesperson which is currently occupied by minister of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Nelson Chamisa.
Although the meeting which was attended by members of both factions in the province at the Civic Centre agreed on Tsvangirai's position, the other grouping which is aligned to Elphas Mkonoweshuro did not agree on the nomination of Matutu.
Masvingo MDC-T spokesperson Harrison Mudzuri said it was 'normal' that at times people may not agree on a number of things.
"We shall have Matutu as our candidate for national spokesperson and Jeffryson Chitando (MP for Masvingo Central) as our provincial representative in the national executive.
The fact that some people from the other faction came to our meeting shows that we are one family with one vision. Never mind about our disputes, its normal in a family, we know how to solve it," said Mudzuri.
However, members from the Mkonoweshuro faction vowed that they will never support Matutu at the congress. They also said they are going to advocate for Edmore Marima to be Masvingo's provincial executive in the national executive council.
"Matutu is an overzealous young politician while Chitando is a novice in this political field. We will therefore not support these two people, we only agreed on Tsvangirai and differed on the rest of other positions," said one of the MPs from the opposing faction.
Besides election issues, Masvingo unanimously agreed that they were going to advocate for drastic changes in the party.
"We will propose to have more structures countrywide – if our proposal is accepted, we shall have an MDC branch in every street in every town and growth point. Each Street should be independent enough to constitute a branch.
"We also want to have a branch in every village in rural areas. That way we shall improve our visibility," said Mudzuri.
The party's congress is being held under the theme; "The MDC Third National Congress – United, Winning – The People's Covenant to Real Change!!"
The endorsement of Tsvangirai's candidature by the two provinces comes days after the Manicaland province had already indicated it will also back him as president of the labour based party formed by former trade unionists in 1999.
The organising secretary for the MDC-T, Wilson Makanyaire, confirmed that the Mashonaland West province had unanimously agreed to rally behind Tsvangirai.
"The MDC Mashonaland province has endorsed President Richard Morgan Tsvangirai to be the president at the congress elections," Makanyaire said.
Masvingo province also unanimously agreed that Tsvangirai should remain president of the party.
The Masvingo party executive also nominated Masvingo Urban legislator and deputy minister of Youth Empowerment and Indigenisation, Tongai Matutu, for the position of party spokesperson which is currently occupied by minister of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Nelson Chamisa.
Although the meeting which was attended by members of both factions in the province at the Civic Centre agreed on Tsvangirai's position, the other grouping which is aligned to Elphas Mkonoweshuro did not agree on the nomination of Matutu.
Masvingo MDC-T spokesperson Harrison Mudzuri said it was 'normal' that at times people may not agree on a number of things.
"We shall have Matutu as our candidate for national spokesperson and Jeffryson Chitando (MP for Masvingo Central) as our provincial representative in the national executive.
The fact that some people from the other faction came to our meeting shows that we are one family with one vision. Never mind about our disputes, its normal in a family, we know how to solve it," said Mudzuri.
However, members from the Mkonoweshuro faction vowed that they will never support Matutu at the congress. They also said they are going to advocate for Edmore Marima to be Masvingo's provincial executive in the national executive council.
"Matutu is an overzealous young politician while Chitando is a novice in this political field. We will therefore not support these two people, we only agreed on Tsvangirai and differed on the rest of other positions," said one of the MPs from the opposing faction.
Besides election issues, Masvingo unanimously agreed that they were going to advocate for drastic changes in the party.
"We will propose to have more structures countrywide – if our proposal is accepted, we shall have an MDC branch in every street in every town and growth point. Each Street should be independent enough to constitute a branch.
"We also want to have a branch in every village in rural areas. That way we shall improve our visibility," said Mudzuri.
The party's congress is being held under the theme; "The MDC Third National Congress – United, Winning – The People's Covenant to Real Change!!"
Source - Radiovop
