Tsvangirai wants more power

MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai wants power concentrated in his office  during the constitutional changes expected at the party congress later this year.

Tsvangirai told the Voice of America's Studio 7, on Tuesday  that the clashes between him and his two erstwhile secretary-generals, Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti, in 2005 and 2014 respectively, had shown  that the MDC-T was institutionally weak.

"Is it not instructive that this is an institutional weakness as there is always a clash between the president and the secretary-general of the party," said the former prime minister.

"That is why, according to my assessment, we need to have a re-look at this. There is something that tells you that the continued two-power centres in the party is a weakness that we need to address".

The opposition strongman, in power for  more than15 years, suggested that there was no equality between him and other party leaders.

"Some people think because they are elected at the same time at a congress with the president, means they are equal to him. The constitution is very clear that the president takes charge of everything," said Tsvangirai.

Quizzed on whether he was hinting at abolishing the "problematic" post of secretary-general, Tsvangirai said he preferred a constitution not authored by lawyers alone.

"I am not hinting at anything, I am just saying the party must look at a repeat of the same. It is the same script,  but this time with different actors, there is something fundamental that needs to be looked at, not only with regards to positions, but to the institutional weaknesses that need to be addressed.

"People will be allowed to debate, we do not want a constitution that is drawn up by legal minds and we want the people to make the principle, define the principles that should be debated at congress. I am sure people have their own observations and we must allow the people to define how they want to strengthen their party and it will be done," said Tsvangirai in a thinly veiled attack on Biti, who reportedly crafted the current party constitution.

The veteran trade unionist has been at the centre of a leadership wrangle with hawks in his party agitating for renewal and calling on him to resign. Expelled deputy treasurer general Elton Mangoma wrote to Tsvangirai demanding an elective congress to realign  the party,  "because your actions have led to diminishing returns on your and the party's legacy".

In response Tsvangirai characterised Mangoma's letter  as "adventurism" by an elitists in the MDC-T.

"When you have people who have their own adventurist ideas and their own perspectives, it becomes an attempt to hijack, an attempt at hostile takeover.

"The ideological difference is that this party bares its soul from the working people, from the poor and unfortunately our intellectuals, the likes of Ncube and Biti, have thought they would allow people to fight in the revolution and wait to take over the pieces, I think it is very unfortunate," he said.

Ncube led the first split in October 2005 after differences over participation in senatorial elections and accused Tsvangirai of having dictatorial tendencies. Biti has followed suit after attempting a palace coup two weeks ago when he convened a national council that resolved to suspend Tsvangirai and six other top leaders.

Tsvangirai responded by convening his own national council and expelled Biti along with his comrades. The opposition leader said he was a magnanimous leader.

"My life has always been defined by magnanimity and compromise; I have always built trust among my lieutenants and whole-heartedly, without any reservations. I have trusted Biti and Mangoma to carry out the negotiations and other responsibilities because I believed in the team. If people break that trust surely it is a violation of any constructive relationship," said the MDC-T leader.

Tsvangirai also said he had a succession plan and would cede power, without giving a timeframe.

"I am not immortal, I already have thought about what process is going to be followed. I know when I am going to leave but I am not going to leave because people want to push me out. I am not going to abandon ship through letters, statements or vile language," said the former prime minister.