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'Popularity is different from power,' says Tsvangirai
28 Jul 2014 at 08:34hrs | Views
Former Zimbabwean prime minister and MDC-T faction leader Morgan Tsvangirai has admitted that his perceived "popularity with citizens" does not translate into political power.
Tsvangirai was responding to questions from delegates at respected British think-tank policy, Chatham House, on Friday at which he was grilled about his continued stay at the helm of the opposition part amid calls for his removal.
"Popularity is different from political power and our problem as the MDC-T has been to transform our popularity into political power," said Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai has previously said he had jumped into the 2013 elections that he lost to Mugabe because after "seeing the crowds" that had graced his rallies in the run-up to the crucial poll, he thought he would win.
His party's loss in the harmonised elections shocked Tsvangirai given the multitudes that thronged his rallies, including one held a day before voting which was dubbed the "Cross-Over rally".
He said the West needed to insist on positive changes from President Robert Mugabe's government before a complete removal of targeted measures.
"We also notice that sanctions have, to all intents and purposes, been removed except the travel bans on Mugabe and his wife (Grace). This is welcome in that it obliterates and removes any excuse by the government for not delivering services to the people," said Tsvangirai.
"What we do not encourage is a mere removal of sanctions without a framework that plods and entice the nation towards the respect of full democratic values".
Tsvangirai also said government must be prodded to guarantee civil rights through maintenance of sanctions if need be.
"You must insist on the need to respect the rule of law and the conditions sanctioned by Sadc to ensure that the next election is vaccinated from the periodic mischief that has blighted the credibility of all our elections.
"Any re-engagement must be accompanied by a stubborn insistence by the international community on the universally accepted standards that ensure the guarantee of full freedoms and the enfranchising of the ordinary citizen," he said.
Mugabe romped to victory with his party garnering a two thirds majority and stranglehold on parliament he had lost in the 2008 plebiscite.
Fending off attempts to remove him from power, Tsvangirai insisted he would not stay on "if the people want me out".
"Political leadership is not like chieftainship and I have no intention of overstaying the welcome of people by a day.We remain committed to the democratic agenda. We may bicker and some may choose to go their separate ways but that is the nature of democracy to which we are fully subscribed members," said Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai was responding to questions from delegates at respected British think-tank policy, Chatham House, on Friday at which he was grilled about his continued stay at the helm of the opposition part amid calls for his removal.
"Popularity is different from political power and our problem as the MDC-T has been to transform our popularity into political power," said Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai has previously said he had jumped into the 2013 elections that he lost to Mugabe because after "seeing the crowds" that had graced his rallies in the run-up to the crucial poll, he thought he would win.
His party's loss in the harmonised elections shocked Tsvangirai given the multitudes that thronged his rallies, including one held a day before voting which was dubbed the "Cross-Over rally".
He said the West needed to insist on positive changes from President Robert Mugabe's government before a complete removal of targeted measures.
"We also notice that sanctions have, to all intents and purposes, been removed except the travel bans on Mugabe and his wife (Grace). This is welcome in that it obliterates and removes any excuse by the government for not delivering services to the people," said Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai also said government must be prodded to guarantee civil rights through maintenance of sanctions if need be.
"You must insist on the need to respect the rule of law and the conditions sanctioned by Sadc to ensure that the next election is vaccinated from the periodic mischief that has blighted the credibility of all our elections.
"Any re-engagement must be accompanied by a stubborn insistence by the international community on the universally accepted standards that ensure the guarantee of full freedoms and the enfranchising of the ordinary citizen," he said.
Mugabe romped to victory with his party garnering a two thirds majority and stranglehold on parliament he had lost in the 2008 plebiscite.
Fending off attempts to remove him from power, Tsvangirai insisted he would not stay on "if the people want me out".
"Political leadership is not like chieftainship and I have no intention of overstaying the welcome of people by a day.We remain committed to the democratic agenda. We may bicker and some may choose to go their separate ways but that is the nature of democracy to which we are fully subscribed members," said Tsvangirai.
Source - Zim Mail
