Opinion / Columnist
Closing the rift between opposition coalition parties
06 Jul 2017 at 10:50hrs | Views
All progressive thinking Zimbabweans across the divide are rallying behind the mooted grand coalition of main opposition parties for a concerted effort to dislodge the Zanu-PF dictatorship. I have heard there is unholy scrambling for the presidency of the coalition, however, i hope this opinion will help the negotiating parties to come up with an amicable and objective consensus.
(1) BRAND RECOGNITION: In business, the most cumbersome task is winning the hearts of prospective buyers for your product or service. It is humbly an indisputable fact that so far, the Morgan Tsvangirai brand name of MDC-T is the most successful comparative brand among the existing opposition parties. Evidence can be drawn from MDC-T's solid structures nationwide and it's larger chunk in parliamentary and councils representation. With only a year towards the make or break harmonised elections, it would be risky and costly to try to promote a new brand name other than MRT.
(2) REPUTATION/TRUST: It requires a lot of time and effort to build strong brand reputation and trust. While other opposition like Dr JTR Mujuru may be equally good candidates to lead the grand coalition, she has outweighing shortcomings compared to MRT.
Her political CV is drawn from an organisation that is widely perceived to be anti-people-Zanu-PF. For her to lead the coalition would lead to serious voter apathy, giving Zanu-PF a landslide victory.
In Shona, they say," Chikwari chachochonywa pamwe nemazai ehuku hachiregwi chichitungamirira nhiyo dzehuku kundonwa mvura kurwizi nokuti zvose hazvidzoki kumba." That is to say, "A wild chicken egg, though hatched together with domestic chicks, cannot be entrusted to lead the chicken chicks to the waterpoint, because they won't return home." Dr JRT and the likes of Dr Nkosana Moyo are welcome by the electorate in opposition politics, but with gloved hands.
Their eleventh hour knock on the opposition doors is much welcome but, they must humble themselves and let tried and trusted candidates like Mr MRT to lead. I contradict to the view that a neutral person be appointed to lead the coalition. I have reiterated above that only a popular brand is capable of shrugging off other competing brands, and is able to generate much more revenues for the entrepreneur.
A neutral person must be appolitical, as such, it would be irrational to appoint someone who is inexperienced politically, to be able to articulate the manifesto of the coalition to the electorate.
(3) POST-ELECTION TRANSITIONAL AUTHORITY (PETA): The rift between the coalition parties revolves around the presidency and sharing of constituencies in both parliamentary and local governance.
However, these issues may be easily tackled by a consensus to establish what could be called Post- Election Transitional Authority (PETA) The authority would be led, this time around, by a neutral person who will run the country affairs, including setting up all requisite standards for democratic elections, say after 2 years. The authority would dismantle all Zanu-PF perennial undemocratic systems in both electoral and government thereby creating a conducive environment for economic development.
After 2 years, the PETA dissolves its government and Parliament to pave way for the winning individual political party or coalitions to rule untill expiry of their constitutional mandate.
The issue of brand popularity would have been dealt with once and for all, as each party would independently sell their ideologies in a democratic space. Even Zanu-PF would be allowed to participate in the elections. Finally, the issue of sharing constituencies among the opposition is insurmountable.
MDC-T controlled constituencies may be retained for them, while the majority currently seats under Zanu-PF would be shared among the other coalition partners.
Concerted campaigning effort in all constituencies would send a signal to those still supporting the dictator's regime that, " The people of Zimbabwe have united for change, and the hour of change is at hand."
Mufaro Mutemachani writes in his own capacity as a socio-political commentator.
Feedback: mufaromutemachani@gmail.com
(1) BRAND RECOGNITION: In business, the most cumbersome task is winning the hearts of prospective buyers for your product or service. It is humbly an indisputable fact that so far, the Morgan Tsvangirai brand name of MDC-T is the most successful comparative brand among the existing opposition parties. Evidence can be drawn from MDC-T's solid structures nationwide and it's larger chunk in parliamentary and councils representation. With only a year towards the make or break harmonised elections, it would be risky and costly to try to promote a new brand name other than MRT.
(2) REPUTATION/TRUST: It requires a lot of time and effort to build strong brand reputation and trust. While other opposition like Dr JTR Mujuru may be equally good candidates to lead the grand coalition, she has outweighing shortcomings compared to MRT.
Her political CV is drawn from an organisation that is widely perceived to be anti-people-Zanu-PF. For her to lead the coalition would lead to serious voter apathy, giving Zanu-PF a landslide victory.
In Shona, they say," Chikwari chachochonywa pamwe nemazai ehuku hachiregwi chichitungamirira nhiyo dzehuku kundonwa mvura kurwizi nokuti zvose hazvidzoki kumba." That is to say, "A wild chicken egg, though hatched together with domestic chicks, cannot be entrusted to lead the chicken chicks to the waterpoint, because they won't return home." Dr JRT and the likes of Dr Nkosana Moyo are welcome by the electorate in opposition politics, but with gloved hands.
Their eleventh hour knock on the opposition doors is much welcome but, they must humble themselves and let tried and trusted candidates like Mr MRT to lead. I contradict to the view that a neutral person be appointed to lead the coalition. I have reiterated above that only a popular brand is capable of shrugging off other competing brands, and is able to generate much more revenues for the entrepreneur.
A neutral person must be appolitical, as such, it would be irrational to appoint someone who is inexperienced politically, to be able to articulate the manifesto of the coalition to the electorate.
(3) POST-ELECTION TRANSITIONAL AUTHORITY (PETA): The rift between the coalition parties revolves around the presidency and sharing of constituencies in both parliamentary and local governance.
However, these issues may be easily tackled by a consensus to establish what could be called Post- Election Transitional Authority (PETA) The authority would be led, this time around, by a neutral person who will run the country affairs, including setting up all requisite standards for democratic elections, say after 2 years. The authority would dismantle all Zanu-PF perennial undemocratic systems in both electoral and government thereby creating a conducive environment for economic development.
After 2 years, the PETA dissolves its government and Parliament to pave way for the winning individual political party or coalitions to rule untill expiry of their constitutional mandate.
The issue of brand popularity would have been dealt with once and for all, as each party would independently sell their ideologies in a democratic space. Even Zanu-PF would be allowed to participate in the elections. Finally, the issue of sharing constituencies among the opposition is insurmountable.
MDC-T controlled constituencies may be retained for them, while the majority currently seats under Zanu-PF would be shared among the other coalition partners.
Concerted campaigning effort in all constituencies would send a signal to those still supporting the dictator's regime that, " The people of Zimbabwe have united for change, and the hour of change is at hand."
Mufaro Mutemachani writes in his own capacity as a socio-political commentator.
Feedback: mufaromutemachani@gmail.com
Source - Mufaro mutemachani
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