By Douglas Mwonzora
There has been a ragging debate in the MDC regarding the status of external structures. Some have asserted that external structures have no full rights and therefore can not nominate national leaders. Others have argued to the contrary. The good thing is that people are debating freely.
Before the 2011 congress the external structures were regarded as provinces with the same structure and rights as domestic provinces. At the congress of 2011 then Secretary General Tendai Biti proposed a downgrading of the external structures to branches. His proposals were differed to the National Council.
Congress did not have the time to debate them. That means they were never adopted by the congress. However when he brought the proposals to the National Council, the council adopted these amendments and formalised the down grading of the external structures.
Having been down graded to branches the external structures would not have the right to nominate national leaders as provinces do. Some time in 2011, President Tsvangirai brought proposals to reinstate the external structures to their original status.
These proposals were debated at Standing Committee, National Executive Committee and National Council level and there was consensus that the external structures be given back their old status as provinces.
Sometime this year the National Council reiterated its new position that the external structures be given their original status. At each time that these resolutions were made the external structures would be updated by the leadership in Harare.
During the party constitutional review exercise again the status of the external structure was debated. The final position was that they get their status as had been resolved by the National Council.
It was also resolved that all the constitutional amendments take immediate effect in view of the congress that is pending.
What this means is that the external provinces now do have the same rights as the domestic provinces including the right to nominate national leaders. Anything to the contrary amounts to unfair discrimination and that offends the very values of the MDC. It amounts to disenfranchisement of our own people. That can not be right.
One can ask the following questions in order to illustrate the absurdity of differential treatment; Why should Manicaland Province have more rights than Matabeleland Province for example? Why should Matabeleland Province have better rights that the UK Province? Why should Zimbabwean people in Manicaland have more rights than Zimbabwean people in the UK?
Why should Mr. Mpofu born in Tsholotsho and living in Tsholotsho have better rights than another Mr. Mpofu born in Tsholotsho but working in South Africa? The MDC is such a fierce proponent of the diaspora vote. It surely can not in the same vein be seen to be disenfranchising its own diaspora members.
External structures have the right to nominate and elect national leaders.
Douglas Mwonzora is the National Spokesman for the MDC-T. This article was posted on his Facebook page.
