Mwonzora presidency hanging by a thread as party members make plans to elect new president
A winter of discontent has engulfed the MDC-T party following stunning defeat in Saturday’s by-elections, which have left dissatisfied party members angling to move a motion to revoke the mandate of party president Douglas Mwonzora
The MDC-T party is set to hold a National Council meeting on Friday with insiders saying Council will constitute itself into a congress and elect a new party president.
Sources say the biggest question is a risk of creating a power vacuum as there appears to be no suitable candidate to replace Mwonzora.
The opposition movement failed to get a single seat in the council and parliamentary by-elections while in some places where the party failed to get a single vote.
“Individuals within the party tried to mount commendable campaigns but the Mwonzora horse played a big part in the electorate shunning the brand,” said a highly placed source.
“It would seem now that the only way forward is rebranding the face of the party but we look around and we can’t find a candidate to takeover.”
MDC-T’s congress is slated for April but many within the arty fear if a shake-up is not done soon, the majority of party members would have defected to Citizens Coalition For Change by that time.
At the same time, co-ordinator of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance, Marakia Bomani, told VOA that thepolitical group’s secretariat has recommended the suspension of its leader Douglas Mwonzora following their dismal performance in the just-ended council and parliamentary by-elections.
The Nelson Chamisa led CCC blew MDC T candidates out of the water, winning 19 out of the 28 national assembly seats in the long-delayed parliamentary by-elections.
The nine remaining seats went to the ruling Zanu PF which still holds a parliamentary majority.
