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NewsDay

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‘Tsvangirai centralisation of power to further weaken MDC-T’

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POLITICAL analysts yesterday warned that the constitutional amendments adopted by the MDC-T over the weekend to have all administrative powers centred around its leader Morgan Tsvangirai was likely to further weaken the already fractured opposition party.

POLITICAL analysts yesterday warned that the constitutional amendments adopted by the MDC-T over the weekend to have all administrative powers centred around its leader Morgan Tsvangirai was likely to further weaken the already fractured opposition party.

STAFF REPORTER

Speaking to NewsDay in separate interviews, the analysts said the wholesale constitutional amendments would soon haunt the party as they had ignored the principle of separation of power and turned Tsvangirai into a “demi-god”.

Analyst Blessing Vava said: “Congress is a time to reflect and restrategise on party policies for the next five years, but it seems for the MDC, it was about Tsvangirai’s power. It, however, shows that the MDC is now a personal project where everything evolves around its leader.”

In a statement, the MDC Renewal Team, which is made up of members who broke away from Tsvangirai early this year over issues of governance, said they had been vindicated by the recent developments in the MDC-T.

The splinter group accused Tsvangirai of being obsessed with power, hence his “penchant of going against the founding principles and values of the party”.

“The sham congress held by Tsvangirai’s undemocratic faction over the weekend vindicates the MDC Renewal Team as Tsvangirai manipulated it to entrench his ‘Zanufication’ of the party. It is now clear that Tsvangirai is not a democrat as he has centralised all powers around himself,” the MDC Renewal Team said.

“He is now the chief custodian of the party’s name, its assets, its finances, its administration, and everything else that defines it. It is now very clear that Tsvangirai secretly admires (Zanu PF leader President Robert) Mugabe’s unchecked powers and he used his interaction with him during the power-sharing government as an internship for power grabbing.”

Takura Zhangazha, another analyst, said: “It’s unfortunate they sought to do that. What they require now are internal democratic processes. It might be convenient for Tsvangirai, but it disempowers key members.”