News / National
'MDC-T support plummets' - study
11 Feb 2015 at 18:04hrs | Views
The MDC-T's power and influence on the country's political landscape has weakened by 66% after last year's split, the second inside a decade, under the stewardship of founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.
A local political think-tank, the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI), in a study whose findings were released on Tuesday, said while the party might continue to subsist, it would not be able to wrestle power from the ruling Zanu PF party in the foreseeable future.
"There are many reasons behind the MDC-T split and rating each variable as a fraction of a 100, a plurality of the respondents mentioned greedy (43%) as the major reason when compared to lack of adherence to the party constitution (13%), successive failure to win presidency (12%), weak leadership (9%), contradictory party members' interests (12%), class differences (14%) and lack of intra-party democracy (15%)," the report reads in part.
Tsvangirai was accused of dictatorship and lacking decisive leadership traits, while in turn he accused his adversaries of being power hungry, as the mudslinging continued.
Following the party's dismal showing in the harmonised polls held in July 2013, calls for a leadership shake-up grew.
Among the heavyweights to join the chorus for Tsvangirai's removal, just after the elections, were then treasurer-general Roy Bennett and ex-Marondera legislator Ian Kay, who allegedly characterised his then boss as a "rusty bolt" that needed to be removed.
Tsvangirai was serving his third term as party leader and has since been "elected" unopposed for a fourth term in the aftermath of the split.
However, the issues boiled over following deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma's letter in which he openly called for Tsvangirai to step down, casting aspersions on his leadership qualities and his ability to take the movement forward.
ZDI's report revealed that the April 2014 split significantly weakened the opposition, positing that a re-unification is the only option if the MDC-T is to reclaim its place in the country's political architecture.
"The MDC-T split weakened the party (66%), albeit, with the Morgan Tsvangirai (faction) remaining stronger and the Tendai Biti (faction) being the weaker party as reflected by a total of 87% who stated that Morgan Tsvangirai's party remained stronger.
"A majority think the split was not necessary (54%) against 46% who really feel that it was long overdue, (another) 61% strongly feel the split could have been avoided," the ZDI report said.
"A key finding from this study is that, although the MDC-T was faced with significant internal challenges, a split was neither necessary nor strategic. Therefore, a logical conclusion flowing from this finding is that re-unification is essential and strategic. Building of a grand political coalition should begin with the urgent re-unification of the MDC-T and the MDC-Renewal."
The report added that "from an emotional view clouded by personal ambition, greed and ginormous egos, it might appear that re-unification is impossible, but in the sober interests of the democratisation of Zimbabwe such a step can easily be taken in a stride".
Indications coming from both camps show they were as far apart as they were in April last year and not any closer to seeking a solution. However, the renewal group and another faction of the opposition party fronted by ex-industry minister Welshman Ncube have since agreed to a road map to re-unification.
ZDI cited the fact that the MDC-T was able in September 2008 to "cobble a political agreement with arch-rival Zanu PF leading to a power-sharing government between February 2009 and July 2013" as an example of how the opposition party's protagonists can find common ground.
"From the foregoing, it can be argued that the road ahead for the MDC-T after the 2014 split might be a long and tortuous one. Although the party will be in existence it will face a challenge in wrestling power from the ruling party especially when it is weakened by splits.
While the MDC-T party may continue to play a central role as a pillar of democracy in the wider society, it will remain in the periphery as long as it lives," said the report adding "the gains made by the establishment of the once vibrant party in 1999 are going down the drain and diminishing as disintegrations," the reports adds.
The MDC-T's support has been in tailspin since the split and even before the elections with snap surveys indicating the Tsvangirai had become "too comfortable" during the inclusive government in which he was Prime Minister.
A local political think-tank, the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI), in a study whose findings were released on Tuesday, said while the party might continue to subsist, it would not be able to wrestle power from the ruling Zanu PF party in the foreseeable future.
"There are many reasons behind the MDC-T split and rating each variable as a fraction of a 100, a plurality of the respondents mentioned greedy (43%) as the major reason when compared to lack of adherence to the party constitution (13%), successive failure to win presidency (12%), weak leadership (9%), contradictory party members' interests (12%), class differences (14%) and lack of intra-party democracy (15%)," the report reads in part.
Tsvangirai was accused of dictatorship and lacking decisive leadership traits, while in turn he accused his adversaries of being power hungry, as the mudslinging continued.
Following the party's dismal showing in the harmonised polls held in July 2013, calls for a leadership shake-up grew.
Among the heavyweights to join the chorus for Tsvangirai's removal, just after the elections, were then treasurer-general Roy Bennett and ex-Marondera legislator Ian Kay, who allegedly characterised his then boss as a "rusty bolt" that needed to be removed.
Tsvangirai was serving his third term as party leader and has since been "elected" unopposed for a fourth term in the aftermath of the split.
However, the issues boiled over following deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma's letter in which he openly called for Tsvangirai to step down, casting aspersions on his leadership qualities and his ability to take the movement forward.
ZDI's report revealed that the April 2014 split significantly weakened the opposition, positing that a re-unification is the only option if the MDC-T is to reclaim its place in the country's political architecture.
"The MDC-T split weakened the party (66%), albeit, with the Morgan Tsvangirai (faction) remaining stronger and the Tendai Biti (faction) being the weaker party as reflected by a total of 87% who stated that Morgan Tsvangirai's party remained stronger.
"A majority think the split was not necessary (54%) against 46% who really feel that it was long overdue, (another) 61% strongly feel the split could have been avoided," the ZDI report said.
"A key finding from this study is that, although the MDC-T was faced with significant internal challenges, a split was neither necessary nor strategic. Therefore, a logical conclusion flowing from this finding is that re-unification is essential and strategic. Building of a grand political coalition should begin with the urgent re-unification of the MDC-T and the MDC-Renewal."
The report added that "from an emotional view clouded by personal ambition, greed and ginormous egos, it might appear that re-unification is impossible, but in the sober interests of the democratisation of Zimbabwe such a step can easily be taken in a stride".
Indications coming from both camps show they were as far apart as they were in April last year and not any closer to seeking a solution. However, the renewal group and another faction of the opposition party fronted by ex-industry minister Welshman Ncube have since agreed to a road map to re-unification.
ZDI cited the fact that the MDC-T was able in September 2008 to "cobble a political agreement with arch-rival Zanu PF leading to a power-sharing government between February 2009 and July 2013" as an example of how the opposition party's protagonists can find common ground.
"From the foregoing, it can be argued that the road ahead for the MDC-T after the 2014 split might be a long and tortuous one. Although the party will be in existence it will face a challenge in wrestling power from the ruling party especially when it is weakened by splits.
While the MDC-T party may continue to play a central role as a pillar of democracy in the wider society, it will remain in the periphery as long as it lives," said the report adding "the gains made by the establishment of the once vibrant party in 1999 are going down the drain and diminishing as disintegrations," the reports adds.
The MDC-T's support has been in tailspin since the split and even before the elections with snap surveys indicating the Tsvangirai had become "too comfortable" during the inclusive government in which he was Prime Minister.
Source - Zim Mail
