Chamisa must back his democracy claims by holding primary elections

IN the past week, the opposition and their surrogates were in a frenzied excitement over the recently held Zanu-PF primary elections.

Their source of excitement was the few cases of hiccups in the process which was enough for them to try and present the party as chaotic and went as far as pontificating the party's electoral loss in the national polls this year.

However, the ruling party managed to handle the hiccups and ensured a smooth process and in areas where there were protestations, resolved to hold a rerun of the polls.

Fast forward a week later, the MDC-T, among the prominent commentators on the Zanu-PF primaries is going out of their way to avoid the holding of primary elections, cementing their reputation as an antithesis of what they claim to stand for, democracy.

On Monday, the acting MDC-T chairperson Mr Morgan Komichi said the primary elections would be the party's last resort.

"Following the compilation of the approved candidates' panel, the party is now undergoing the second stage of candidate selection, which is consensus-building and primary elections where necessary…," said Mr Komichi.

"The party wants to centre its candidate selection process around the people through a procedure that begins with a process of consensus between and among the candidates themselves, with primary elections being the last resort if the candidates fail to agree among themselves."

The disregard for democratic processes is not new in the MDC-T and can be traced to the days of founding party leader Morgan Tsvangirai who died in February this year.

And as if to honour his departed leader, his successor Mr Nelson Chamisa, soon after the death of Tsvangirai, captured the party through processes that were protested by fellow senior party members like Dr Thokozani Khupe, Mr Obert Gutu and Mr Abednico Bhebhe among others.

Dr Khupe and her colleagues called for a congress to elect the party's leadership but this fell on deaf ears as Mr Chamisa was determined to seize the control of the MDC-T by any means necessary outside democracy.

Instead of listening to the counsel of his colleagues, Mr Chamisa chose ultimatums, threatening the Dr Khupe group that they either toe the line of face the boot.

They were also subjected to violence at the burial of Tsvangirai and also at the MDC-T Bulawayo offices for their stance against Mr Chamisa but that does not end there.

Mr Chamisa and his allies then expelled Dr Khupe and her group from the party leading to a split with the former deputy Prime Minister leading the breakaway faction and declared that they were the legitimate MDC-T.

The fights have spilled to the courts as the two groups battle for the soul of the MDC-T as well as the name of the party.

It is against this background that the latest affront by MDC-T to democracy is not really new but a continuation of the values that party has held highly since its formation.

But before the expulsion of Dr Khupe and others leading to the dramatic fights, some officials like former MDC-T chairperson Mr Lovemore Moyo resigned probably after seeing that Mr Chamisa was coming in to turn the assault on democracy a notch higher.

Unlike his former leader Mr Tsvangirai who was brazen in his acts, Mr Chamisa has tried to present a clownish side of himself making all sorts of outrageous statements while behind the scenes working against the values that he purports to represent.

Not that the clowning has won him any admiration and with each day Mr Chamisa is stepping on the toes of Zimbabweans who are increasingly getting irritated by his antics.

This week Mr Chamisa attracted the wrath of gender activists for objectifying and denigrating women after he allegedly said he would offer his 18-year-old sister to President Mnangagwa if he loses the forthcoming elections.

Addressing a rally in Bedford in the United Kingdom at the weekend, Mr Chamisa told party supporters that he would give away his sister if President Mnangagwa managed to get just five percent of the total vote in a free and fair election.

"If Mnangagwa wins five percent in a free election, I will give him my sister. I have a sister who just turned 18 and looking for a husband. I'm betting on this because I know it won't happen," said the MDC-T leader.

Important to note is that Mr Chamisa, besides the sick joke, fails to appreciate the numbers that turned out to cast their votes in the primary elections.

Despite the problems during the holding of the internal polls, problems acknowledged by the party leadership, what the opposition and its surrogates conveniently ignored where the overwhelming numbers who cast their votes in the constituencies which serves as a show of strength on the part of Zanu-PF.

If Mr Chamisa is certain that President Mnangagwa won't get more than 5 percent of the national vote then why doesn't he back his claims by using the primary elections as his own show of force? Why not hold the congress and go to the national elections buoyed by the numbers that will back his bid to the party presidency?

It is clear therefore that Mr Chamisa and his MDC-T party want to appear strong when they are at their weakest, perhaps their worst state since the party's formation.

The stance on the primary elections by MDC-T, the congress to elect new leadership and their conduct over the years gives the electorate the clearest indication on the kind of "democracy" that the party is championing.