Tsvangirai faction hits back

In another twist to the crisis in Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), its' second highest body, the national council, on Thursday revoked party leader Morgan Tsvangirai's suspension and "disassociated" itself from the pro-senate faction. The MDC national council said in a statement that a disciplinary committee meeting which had suspended Tsvangirai last week was not quorate and had not followed proper procedures. Sibanda had announced that Tsvangirai had been suspended last week Thursday, after a disciplinary committee allegedly found him guilty of violating the party's constitution by issuing a call to boycott the recent senate polls. Committee members have since then disputed Sibanda's account and said they were unaware of a formal meeting having taken place. In a move perceived as an attempt to sideline the pro-senate faction, the national council also adopted a vote-of-no-confidence in its leading members: deputy president Gibson Sibanda, secretary-general Welshman Ncube, deputy secretary Gift Chimanikire, treasurer general Fletcher Ncube, spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi and others as they had not "availed themselves for any party meetings". "The congress has the power to remove the office-bearers, [which will only meet in February 2006], until then the council is disassociating itself from them," said William Bango, Tsvangirai's spokesman. In another telling resolution, the national council vested control over the party's finances in Tsvangirai and his allies: the party chair Isaac Matongo and the leaders of the women and youth wings of the party. The pro-senate election faction has refuted the national council decisions. "The council meeting did not have a quorum. Only two of the top six management official participated in the meeting - it is just a meaningless gesture," said Nyathi. Bango, however, maintained that 57 out of the 66 members of the national council attended the meeting. The crisis in the MDC followed Tsvangirai overruling a national council decision in October to participate in the senate elections, which were held on 26 November. He argued that the MDC's agreed position had been to ignore the poll on the grounds that it would be a waste of taxpayers' money, and the upper chamber would be dominated by the ruling party. The pro-senate faction argued that by boycotting the elections MDC would hand ZANU-PF control of constituencies it could not win through the ballot box, and Tsvangirai had torn up the party's rule book by ignoring the national council's decision.