THE Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is embarking on new processes to elect its national leaders, thereby possibly ditching the traditional congresses, the Zimbabwe Independent can reveal.
This follows recent reports that the party, formed in
January this year ahead of the March 26 by-elections, was a one-man show for
Nelson Chamisa.
There are also increased calls for the new political outfit
to hold an elective congress.
Exiled former ministers Professor Jonathan Moyo and Walter
Mzembi led the charge last week calling for Chamisa to hold a special congress
to launch the party constitution, build structures, elect leadership and come
up with an election manifesto.
Since its formation early this year, the party has insisted
that all party members will hold interim positions while it consults citizens.
Political observers, however, raised concerns that the
stance would diminish the CCC’s image as a vanguard of democracy.
In an interview yesterday, CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere
said: “The CCC is consulting citizen assemblies throughout all provinces where
structures are being built to ensure every street, village and farm is part of
a branch.
“These are the same citizens in urban and rural areas who
were consulted and who pushed for the creation of a brand new political party,”
Mahere said, adding that the party was introducing a new political doctrine.
“We urge the citizens not to expect old ways from these new
wineskins. We commit to doing things differently. Expect the new.”
The CCC, she added, was a citizens’ project that carried
new values, a new political culture, a new thinking, and a new way of community
organisation.
“The people are being consulted so that we don’t impose our
own ideas on them. Rather, the citizens must own their movement,” she said.
The CCC, according to Mahere, would roll out all other
mechanisms at the appropriate time while calling party supporters to trust the
process. She said party leaders would be selected by a democratic process led
by the citizens while details around this would be unveiled at the appropriate
time.
“President Chamisa has been anything but silent. He has addressed citizen assemblies, small
group meetings, village meetings, and a host of other community and special
interest groups,” Mahere said.
“The clear message has been that CCC is a movement that
puts the citizens at the centre of all decision-making and all matters of
governance, leadership selection, budgetary priorities, and policy-making.”
Mahere said the movement was seeking to complete the
unfinished business of the liberation struggle.
“It is a party that champions prosperity, opportunity and
protection for all Zimbabweans regardless of their location or status in
society.
“We are all equal as citizens of our country. We advocate
for a Zimbabwe where every person is accorded their inalienable rights
irrespective of race, colour, creed, age, sex, religious affiliation, national
origin or disability,” she added.
Mahere said Chamisa has made it clear that the party’s
mission was to drive a new national consensus, a new conversation, a new
convergence, a post-liberation consensus and a democratisation consensus.
The CCC garnered 19 out of 28 seats in the March 26 by-elections.
Zimbabwe Independent
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