Brief 4 : reflections on the movement for democratic change's defeat in the July 2013 election in Zimbabwe
Date
2013-12
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Publisher
University for Peace Africa Programme, Addis Ababa, ET
Abstract
The defeat of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC),28 in the
July 2013 general election in Zimbabwe offers important insights from
which opposition parties within the country and across the continent
can draw. Whilst there have been claims that the Zimbabwe African
National Union (Patriotic Front) (ZANU PF) massively rigged the
vote, the MDC requires an introspection as a political party. This
brief details some major weaknesses that led to the MDC’s dismal
performance. Essentially, the party lost its focus on the electorate
through undemocratic practices in the party, increased social distance
from its constituency, and the failure to form an electoral pact with
other opposition parties. The brief makes three recommendations. First, the MDC should favour an internal direct popular election instead of
the Electoral College system, which suppresses popular will. Second,
voter registration and education campaigns should not be perceived as
events but rather as significant processes in their aspirations towards
election victory. The MDC has to start to mobilise the vote now by
engaging and enlightening various constituencies in preparation for
the 2018 general elections. Finally, the formation of electoral pacts is
advisable for opposition parties attempting to wrestle power from a
dominant party.
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Policy Brief
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Keywords
ZIMBABWE, ELECTORAL PROCESS, POLITICAL CORRUPTION, ELECTORAL SYSTEMS, POLICY MAKING, VOTER REGISTRATION, POLITICAL CHANGE, POLITICAL PARTIES
Citation
Mukwedeya, T.G. (2013). Brief 4 : REFLECTIONS on the Movement for Democratic Change's defeat in the July 2013 Election in Zimbabwe. UPEACE Africa Policy Series, 1(1): 39-45.