News / National
Description and Rationale of MDC's decision regarding the Speakership position
26 Mar 2011 at 00:33hrs | Views
The debate on party position on the vacant position of the Speaker of the House of Assembly requires that we should explain in full the party decisions on this matter. I must start by setting out the decisions taken by the party on the issue of the vacant Speakership and the reasoning and circumstances which informed those decisions. The decisions are as follows.
Given that the Party already holds the Deputy Speakership and hence it would make no sense for the party to seek to hold both the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker and further given the recent extensive co-operation between MDCT and ZANUPF, against our Party in efforts to destroy the Party, it is self evident that it would be next to impossible to persuade either of them to support any bid by us for the Speakership. Thus the option of the party fielding its own candidate was never a viable option, unless if it was done for symbolic reasons.
The next consideration was the likelihood of ZANUPF and MDCT being able to agree on the Speakership as between themselves. At the time of the debate and decision making within the Party, there was a very strong opinion that the two parties would be able to agree on the Speakership given that they have been able to agree on who should be Deputy PM to represent our party in the inclusive government and also given their strong co-operation against us both within the inclusive government and outside it in such institutions as COPAC where on a daily basis we have to fight alone against the machinations of the MDCT and ZANUPF against our party. In this respect the examples of their collaboration against us is endless. We thus concluded that the MDCT and ZANUPF should and would be able to come to some understanding on the
Speakership.
On that account we further concluded that since we were their common enemy, it was best that we pull out of the race so that the two could consolidate their alliance by finding some accommodation with each other on the Speakership without us mudding the waters for them. We thus decided that they should be given a chance to find each other on the issue.
We then reflected on what we should do in the event that they were unable to agree as between themselves on how they should deal with the Speakership. The debate on this scenario was long, painful, extensive and very difficult.
We went over the track record of the MDCT since the inception of the inclusive government against our party and how they have relentlessly and consistently worked to destroy us as a Party. We considered that over more than two years they have sought to recruit through bribery and other corrupt means our Members of Parliament beginning with the corrupting of our former MPs such as Bhebhe, Mguni and Mpofu, leading to their expulsions from the Party. We noted their workshops with them in Botswana. We reflected on how they were bought and corrupted over the Speakership the last time around and how some of them were even offered Ministerial positions and other
appointments in efforts to destroy our party.
We considered the endless battles we have had to fight and which we are still fighting over the corrupting of our Rural District Councillors, many of whom defected after being given biycles, cellphones and cash.That is how we lost some Councillors in Nkayi, Lupane and Bulilima. That strategy remains in full swing in virtually all the rural districts where we have councillors even today. We also considered that even as of now, there is a programme in full swing to recruit our structures across the country using donor funds given to victims of political violence. In such places as Zhombe, many of our people who campaigned for the MDCT in the Presidential run off in 2008 and were severely beaten and some permanently disabled have been told they can't benefit from those donor funds unless they defected to the MDCT. We considered the violence against our Party by the MDCT including attempted disruptions of our meetings which were all reported to JOMIC. We factored the ceaseless intreference in our internal party affairs, the latest being the sponsorship of the Mudzumwe group who have been funded and given lawyers by the MDCT with ZANUPF giving them protection, advice and planning services as well as state media support.
We considered that they have stood firmly and resolutely with Mugabe over the Mutambara matter. Even as we were reflecting on these matters they were holding night meetings with some of our members, with some being given as much as US$10 000,00 and others US$16 000,00 to corrupt them over the Speakership vote. No deceny at all. No attempt to talk to the Party to ask for its support. They would rather corrupt our MPs than talk to the Party to ask for support. I could go on and on. Suffice to say that, in these circumstances the Party could see no difference between the behaviour of the MDCT and that of ZANUPF. We entertained no doubt that no sooner that we would give them our votes for the Speakership than they would stab us in the back.
In the cirmstances, the party decided that there would be little strategic value in giving its support to a Party that refuses to stop its underhand attempts to destroy us. Neither could we ever consider giving any support to ZANUPF for obvious reasons including their recent total disrepect of our party by their actions on the Mutambara issue. Thus the only decision which made sense was the one of requesting our MPs to ABSTAIN (not boycott) from voting if they could not find it in their conscience to vote for the MDCT candidate and to reflect that abstantion by walking out of Parliament at the commencement of the voting process. Equally, we further decided that those whose conscience, would not allow them to abstain and could live with voting for the MDCT they should remain in the House and vote as their consciences dictated.
Put simply, the party decision was for our MPs to abstain from voting and if their consciences would not allow them to do so, then they could vote as they wished. In short, the Party would not apply any whip on any of its members, each will be free to follow their conscience either to stand by the position preferred by the Party or to vote as they wished if in good conscience they could not abstain.
In conclusion, having regard to the fact that we are totally convinced that in practice there is no difference between MDCT and ZANUPF and further having regard to what the MDCT has done and continues to do to our Party, it is grossly unfair for people to continue to require us to lend them support while they are continously and tirelessly working for our destruction, often in collaboration with ZANUPF but sometimes on their on. In these premises we do not believe that we owe them any favours!!
We are convinced that a party that operates and behaves in this manner even before it has complete power, will be even worse off when in power. We do not believe that this is something that we can be part of not only for our sake but especially for the sake of future generations. We cannot and will not tire in our fight for a better Zimbabwe. That is why we continue to stand for what we believe in, knowing Zimbabweans deserve better.
The battle for real democracy starts now not after Mugabe is gone. That is why support for our party is growing day by day. We urge all Zimbabweans to support our cause, the fight for a democratic, free and prosperous Zimbabwe.
Given that the Party already holds the Deputy Speakership and hence it would make no sense for the party to seek to hold both the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker and further given the recent extensive co-operation between MDCT and ZANUPF, against our Party in efforts to destroy the Party, it is self evident that it would be next to impossible to persuade either of them to support any bid by us for the Speakership. Thus the option of the party fielding its own candidate was never a viable option, unless if it was done for symbolic reasons.
The next consideration was the likelihood of ZANUPF and MDCT being able to agree on the Speakership as between themselves. At the time of the debate and decision making within the Party, there was a very strong opinion that the two parties would be able to agree on the Speakership given that they have been able to agree on who should be Deputy PM to represent our party in the inclusive government and also given their strong co-operation against us both within the inclusive government and outside it in such institutions as COPAC where on a daily basis we have to fight alone against the machinations of the MDCT and ZANUPF against our party. In this respect the examples of their collaboration against us is endless. We thus concluded that the MDCT and ZANUPF should and would be able to come to some understanding on the
Speakership.
On that account we further concluded that since we were their common enemy, it was best that we pull out of the race so that the two could consolidate their alliance by finding some accommodation with each other on the Speakership without us mudding the waters for them. We thus decided that they should be given a chance to find each other on the issue.
We then reflected on what we should do in the event that they were unable to agree as between themselves on how they should deal with the Speakership. The debate on this scenario was long, painful, extensive and very difficult.
We went over the track record of the MDCT since the inception of the inclusive government against our party and how they have relentlessly and consistently worked to destroy us as a Party. We considered that over more than two years they have sought to recruit through bribery and other corrupt means our Members of Parliament beginning with the corrupting of our former MPs such as Bhebhe, Mguni and Mpofu, leading to their expulsions from the Party. We noted their workshops with them in Botswana. We reflected on how they were bought and corrupted over the Speakership the last time around and how some of them were even offered Ministerial positions and other
appointments in efforts to destroy our party.
We considered that they have stood firmly and resolutely with Mugabe over the Mutambara matter. Even as we were reflecting on these matters they were holding night meetings with some of our members, with some being given as much as US$10 000,00 and others US$16 000,00 to corrupt them over the Speakership vote. No deceny at all. No attempt to talk to the Party to ask for its support. They would rather corrupt our MPs than talk to the Party to ask for support. I could go on and on. Suffice to say that, in these circumstances the Party could see no difference between the behaviour of the MDCT and that of ZANUPF. We entertained no doubt that no sooner that we would give them our votes for the Speakership than they would stab us in the back.
In the cirmstances, the party decided that there would be little strategic value in giving its support to a Party that refuses to stop its underhand attempts to destroy us. Neither could we ever consider giving any support to ZANUPF for obvious reasons including their recent total disrepect of our party by their actions on the Mutambara issue. Thus the only decision which made sense was the one of requesting our MPs to ABSTAIN (not boycott) from voting if they could not find it in their conscience to vote for the MDCT candidate and to reflect that abstantion by walking out of Parliament at the commencement of the voting process. Equally, we further decided that those whose conscience, would not allow them to abstain and could live with voting for the MDCT they should remain in the House and vote as their consciences dictated.
Put simply, the party decision was for our MPs to abstain from voting and if their consciences would not allow them to do so, then they could vote as they wished. In short, the Party would not apply any whip on any of its members, each will be free to follow their conscience either to stand by the position preferred by the Party or to vote as they wished if in good conscience they could not abstain.
In conclusion, having regard to the fact that we are totally convinced that in practice there is no difference between MDCT and ZANUPF and further having regard to what the MDCT has done and continues to do to our Party, it is grossly unfair for people to continue to require us to lend them support while they are continously and tirelessly working for our destruction, often in collaboration with ZANUPF but sometimes on their on. In these premises we do not believe that we owe them any favours!!
We are convinced that a party that operates and behaves in this manner even before it has complete power, will be even worse off when in power. We do not believe that this is something that we can be part of not only for our sake but especially for the sake of future generations. We cannot and will not tire in our fight for a better Zimbabwe. That is why we continue to stand for what we believe in, knowing Zimbabweans deserve better.
The battle for real democracy starts now not after Mugabe is gone. That is why support for our party is growing day by day. We urge all Zimbabweans to support our cause, the fight for a democratic, free and prosperous Zimbabwe.
Source - Byo24News
