Post-Congress mood: New-look MDC leadership gets down to business




MDC Leader Nelson Chamisa. Picture: TIMESLIVE
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The MDC will tomorrow convene a special national council meeting to deal with issues agreed on and ratified at congress in Gweru last month, but are yet to be implemented.

Top of the agenda are changes to the MDC constitution to ensure that decisions made at congress are captured and legalised.

In its final resolution at congress, the MDC resolved that at its next congress in 2024 it will have one vice-president, doing away with the current system which has three deputy presidents.

The MDC also resolved to bar its members from taking the party to court, saying any such action would result in one’s automatic dismissal from the organisation.

“Congress resolved that notwithstanding any law right or circumstances, no member shall institute any legal proceedings or commence any external complaints or proceedings without exhausting all domestic remedies provided (for) in the constitution. In addition, no member shall institute any legal proceedings or complaints unless such member is a fully paid up member and has been a fully paid up member in the preceding year before any such action.

Any member violating this shall be deemed expelled from the point of instituting of such proceedings,” the resolutions read.

Having failed to finish all its business, congress then delegated the national council to deal with the outstanding issues.

“Congress resolved that these resolutions must be reflected in the constitution through the necessary changes to be adopted at the national council’s first sitting after congress, to conclude and give effect to the business of congress,” the resolutions added.
Fired party vice-president Thokozani Khupe and her party MDC-T’s alleged abuse of the MDC logo, name and regalia are also part of the resolutions that council has to deal with.

Another issue central to the council meeting is how the MDC will deal with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government who they accuse of stealing the July 2018 presidential election and causing the suffering of the majority of Zimbabweans.

The party is considering demonstrating as a weapon to push Mnangagwa and his party to the negotiating table.

The youth assembly has already been upping the tempo, threatening to remove the current regime from power.

Mnangagwa, while saying he is open to talks, has, however, threatened that the full mighty of security forces will descend on anyone who engages in violent demonstrations.

MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said it was part of the national council’s duties to deal with the implementation of the resolutions.

“National council will deal with the strategy and implementation of the resolutions as they see fit in line with congress resolutions,” he said.

Party secretary-general Charlton Hwende confirmed the meeting where Chamisa will also appoint close to 40 members of the national executive from a pool of close to 569 CVs.

Only congress can change or amend the party constitution, appoint officers through its president to the standing committee and national executive.

Source – newsday