2019 MDC TEMPLATE FOR THE CONGRESS

INTRODUCTION
The 2019 congress comes on the backdrop of an undesirable stage of our struggle after the death of Dr M.R Tsvangirai on the 14th of February 2018. It is a sad moment for the struggle and for us as a movement however it gives us an opportunity to revitalise, rejuvenate and redirect our struggle.

This is an opportunity to set on course the rebirth of the revolutionary spirit and to make sure we have fully constituted dynamic structures with adequate political education to be real agents and catalysts of change in Zimbabwe. It gives us the desire to continue with the struggle for a new Zimbabwe.

OBJECTIVES

• Ensure that we have a full structure compliment at all levels.
• Entrench our internal participatory democracy in order to build a transparent and accountable leadership based on constitutionalism and the rule of law.
• To have a credible, just, free and fair process
  Emerge with a stronger, more united and coercive party.
• Guard against infiltration and entrench a culture of service and sacrifice.
• Revitalise the vibrancy of the party.
• To rebuild the party.

CONSIDERATIONS

• Constitutional provisions on the conduct of Congress.
• National Council resolutions.
• Loyalty to Party Ideology and values.
• Guard against infiltration
  Promotion and preservation of party image.
• Cultivation of internal democracy.
• Membership status
  having served the required minimum number of years.
• Gender parity 50-50.

PROCESS TIMELINES:

BRANCHES – 10-17 March 2019.

WARD FORMATION AND CONGRESSES – 22-24 March 2019.

DISTRICT FORMATION AND CONGRESSES – 29-31 March 2019.

PROVINCIAL CONGRESSES – 5-27 April 2019.

CAMPAIGNING ( PROVINCIAL CAUCASES)-
EXTERNAL ASSEMBLIES –  April 2019

STUDENTS’ COUNCIL – April 2019.

External Assemblies and students’ council branches will be done in April 2019, Youth and Women Assemblies’ congresses will be done a day before the main wing at all levels.

The Youth and Women congresses 22-24 May 2019

National Congress 24-26 May 2019

PRESIDING AND SUPERVISORY STRUCTURE:

Branch: WardDistrict organiser

Ward: District Organiser. Provincial Executive

District: Province National Organising Committee.

 Province: National Organising Committee

National Executive: External AssembliesNational Organising CommitteeNational Chairman’s office

 Students’ CouncilYouth National Organising CommitteeYouth National Executive
 Youth and WomenIndependent CommissionNational Executive

A command centre will be established at National and Provincial level to ensure the smooth running of the process when it kicks off the ground.

The provincial command centre shall be headed by the National Organising Committee assisted by the Provincial Executive

The presiding and supervising teams must have representation from all the party’s three wings; i.e. all the teams whether presiding or supervising must have a member from the Main, Women and Youth wings.
The guardian council shall have observer role.

ACCREDITATION
The presiding team shall be responsible for the accreditation of delegates supervised by the National Organising Committee.

VENUES
The venue must be central
The venue must be accessible

The venues for the lower level assemblies must be agreed upon by the organising committee and the executive, the presiding team and the organ convening the assembly. The venue must meet certain standards such as being central and accessible.

TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS

At the instruction of the Treasurer General, fundraising shall be done by the provinces for all its delegates.

CONDUCT OF THE PROCESS
Quorum
The quorum at all levels shall be at least two thirds of the eligible delegates

ELECTROL COLLEGE
It shall be constituted as per constitutional provisions on the delegates to the various assemblies.

Congress process

Vetting of all candidates using section 10 of this template. Only approved candidates are allowed to go to consensus process
Consensus first
If consensus fails the approved candidates will go for elections.

The congress shall respect the secret ballot.
Voting materials, printed ballots and boxes shall be prepared, provided and secured for all electoral processes by the presiding and supervising teams

A. QUALIFICATION TO HOLD OFFICE

The table below shows the minimum number of years that one is required to have served in the party before they can qualify to hold office in that organ.

ORGAN and MINIMUM NUMBER OF YEARS

• Branch 2
• Ward 5
• District 5
• Province 5
• National 5

For one to be eligible to be elected into a particular organ they must have served in a leadership position in the immediate lower organ or that organ for a minimum number of years as prescribed in the table above.

B. Disqualification
The under listed circumstances will lead to automatic disqualification:

If for any reason one stood as an independent candidates they are automatically disqualified from contesting and participating in the congress processes.
A person who is VIOLENT or associated with VIOLENCE will be automatically disqualified
A member who take bribes or give bribes.
Candidates will be disqualified if they promote factionalism or if they campaign as a slate
Malicious gossiping is strictly prohibited
Campaigning outside template provisions

APPEALS STRUCTURE
All appeals shall be made and concluded within one week.

All candidates have a right to appeal against the outcome of the process and the appeals shall be made to the following organs/committees:

Branches, Wards and Districts shall appeal to the National Organising Committee
Province and above shall appeal to the National Executive Committee

ELECTABLE POSITIONS.  
Branch to Province
Chairperson
Deputy chairperson
Secretary
Vice Secretary
Treasurer
Deputy Treasurer
Organising secretary
Deputy Secretary
Secretary for information and publicity
Deputy secretary for information and publicity

The above positions also apply to Women and Youth Assemblies up to the National level

NOMINATION AND VETTING
There shall be a nomination form for those who seek to hold and be elected for Provincial and National positions.

Provincial Nomination: Nominations for provincial executive positions shall be done after every district assembly and shall be done by the district council it shall be conducted by the National Executive members.

National Nomination
Nominations for national positions shall be done after every provincial assembly and shall be done by the provincial council and shall be presided over by the National Executive members.

iii. Youth and women Nominations

For the Women and Youth assemblies, one must have at least ONE (1) nomination for the positions of Chairperson and Deputy and at least ONE (1) nomination for the rest of the positions.           

National Nomination Procedure

The Nomination process for National positions shall be presided over by an Independent Board appointed by National Executive.

For one to be elected he /she must have at least have one nomination from Province to National.

According to the constitution there are 13 provinces in the party, 10 in Zimbabwe and 3 outside Zimbabwe. The following provinces will nominate Harare, Bulawayo, Mash East, Mash West, Mash Central, Mat North, Mat South, Midlands, Masvingo and Manicaland.  External Provinces, UK, USA and South Africa.

Vetting

Vetting shall be done by the Security Department working closely with the National Organising Department

CAMPAIGNING

No candidate is allowed to congregate structures outside the process outlined in this template.
No one is allowed to campaign in a province where they do not come from except for national positions.
All candidates shall be given a formal platform ( caucuses) at various levels to present their credentials and programs as justification for election.