Chin’ono urges CCC not to pull out of parliament
journalist Hopewell Chin'ono
A prominent figure in Zimbabwe politics, Hopewell Chin’ono, has voiced his opinion on the calls for the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) to withdraw all its Members of Parliament (MPs) in protest against the recent ruling by the Speaker of Parliament.
Chin’ono argues that such a mass withdrawal would not add any value unless the CCC has a “nuclear option” to challenge the regime on another front. He emphasizes that political decisions should be grounded in strategic thinking rather than emotions and anger.
“Pulling out all MPs will accentuate the cracks in CCC because as I said last week, parliament is a job for many of our MPs both in CCC and ZANUPF,” Chin’ono said.
He further explained that removing MPs would mean depriving them of their livelihood for the next five years unless there is a plan in place for what will happen after the pullout.
Chin’ono also warned that some CCC MPs might defy Nelson Chamisa, the party’s leader, if he orders a pullout. This defiance could further weaken Chamisa’s hold on both the party and national politics.
He advised against making it easy for ZANUPF (Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front), the ruling party. “You were elected, stay there until they remove you illegally and let the world see it,” he said.
Chin’ono also recalled advising Morgan Tsvangirai against not contesting the June 2015 by-elections in urban areas after recalling some of his MPs after the second split.
He warned that if Chamisa pulls out all his MPs, ZANUPF will do what it has done in the past. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will claim it has no money for by-elections, and we will have a ZANUPF parliament until 2028.
Chin’ono concluded by saying that leaders should make decisions based on strategy and not what is popular with supporters. He quoted Sun Tzu, saying, “…the greatest victory is that which requires no battle,” implying that by pulling out MPs from parliament, CCC would have handed victory to ZANUPF on a silver platter without working for it.
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