'Fight through democracy and not mobocracy,' Tsvangirai told

MDC-T heavyweight and former organising secretary Elias Mudzuri has challenged party leader Morgan Tsvangirai to fight for his leadership survival through democratic means and not through "mobocracy".

Mudzuri, considered a serious competitor to opposition politics leadership alongside Tsvangirai, said the on-going crisis bedevilling  the opposition MDC-T will not help bring power to the party through elections, whenever they may be conducted.

The former Harare mayor said this after he was booed at a weekend rally in Harare by a section of party activists who accused him of being part of the renewal team fighting to dislodge Tsvangirai.

"I strongly believe that it is time Tsvangirai fought his own battles and no one should fight in his corner. What is happening in the party is something that should not be tolerated, we must be able to tolerate each other and allow a robust debate of issues in the party," he said.

"We will never win an election as factions but as a united party. This thing of people claiming that they want unity when, at the same time, we are busy denigrating each other and pushing those who have opposing views outside the tent will not help at all. I strongly believe that we need to understand and practice democracy in total," he said.

The former Energy minister, who attracted the wrath of MDC-T supporters after, penning an opinion piece advising Tsvangirai to step down so that he becomes "the Mandela of the movement", said the party leader should show the unity he talks about and rein in those who are name calling and denigrating opposing views to  those of the leader.

"If people are really honest about the big tent philosophy and message, I strongly believe that there is no need to chase away someone because they have a diverging view, and yet you want to work with new faces.

How do you work with new faces when you have failed to work with those who began the struggle. Having a different view to issues but sharing the ideology does not mean that you are an enemy." Mudzuri said though Tsvangirai was a hero of the democratic struggle, he had played his role.

"I have respect for him; he has led the struggle and has been in the trenches for a long time. He is a hero but this does not remove the fact that issues being raised by stakeholders are genuine and should be addressed," he said.

"The party should not survive and thrive on ‘mobocracy' but be a democratic institution in words and deeds," he said.

Secretary-General Tendai Biti has since been fired from the party along with Elton Mangoma and other members calling for leadership renewal while the Tsvangirai faction has set October as the month for  holding an elective congress.

Mudzuri said he will not participate in the congress which falls short of democratic values.

"Some of us are not power hungry but would want to participate in a process that is credible and is above democratic norms and values. As long as it not being driven by democracy but mobocracy, I will not be part of it," he said.

Asked if he leads a faction and was positioning himself to take over from Tsvangirai, Mudzuri said: "I don't believe in factions but I know that there are people who share certain views with me and some who believe in my understanding,  especially that of cohesion and tolerance to other people's views," he said.