By Christopher Makaza
MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa has revealed that his opposition political party wants to be in dialogue so that they push for electoral reforms before 2023 harmonised elections.
Addressing party members at a party meeting held in Bulawayo during the weekend, Chamisa said the MDC would not join the dialogue to assist Zanu PF fix the economy but to push for electoral reforms from within ahead of 2023 election.
Chamisa said the party had decided to shelve plans for demonstrations in order to pave way for the so-called broad based which he wants to include the MDC, Zanu PF, Churches and Civic Society Organisations (CSOs). He also said MDC wanted a National Transitional Authority (NTA) led by a retired High Court Judge or a credible personality from the CSOs.
During the meeting, Chamisa indicated that the MDC National Committee gave him the mandate to engage other regional leaders lobbying for support of his Broad Based Dialogue, claiming that other regional leaders had already started calling him in support of his idea.
Chamisa castigated former South African President Thambo Mbeki`s recent meeting with MDC-T leader, Thokozani Khupe and NCA leader, Lovemore Madhuku saying meeting with members from such minority political parties was time wasting and useless. Chamisa highlighted that he doesn`t want Mbeki as a mediator claiming that he was biased towards ZANU PF.
Contradicting himself on the issue of demonstrations, Chamisa encouraged party members to adopt radical approaches against government without elaborating, adding that starting January 2020, the MDC would be joining associations like doctors and teachers` unions who are set to demonstrate, taking advantage of people`s anger due to lack of school fees and other basic commodities.
During the same meeting, the party’s National Secretary for Local Government, Cecil Zvidzai questioned whether MDC should help government improve the economy or make it worse to which former Zanu PF Mwenezi East Legislator Kudakwashe Bhasiki answered that the opposition should make sure that the economy collapses so that in case of a GNU, credit would be given to MDC citing the 2008 scenario.
