AS the harmonised elections draw closer, the country's different political parties are all preparing to field their crème de la crème of candidates. But, it appears the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Prime Minister (PM) Morgan Tsvangirai has been thrown into the centre of a storm over primary elections to choose the best

In the past, controversy over these intra party elections has been linked only to President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF. But that is probably because of the long period the party has been in power and the opportunities power brings to those in the corridors of such institutions.

In a democracy, elections are central to the appointment of leaders and often times, these elections are hotly contested.

The system of electing leadership is meant to ensure that those who emerge from the process become representatives of the electorate, seeking to champion the needs and aspirations of the people whom they represent.

Whether the elected respect their mandate has often been the bone of contention in Zimbabwe. But in Zimbabwean politics, those in power have often been seen amassing wealth and fat bellies in real life rags to riches stories.

In his essay which originally appeared in Volume 1 of Essays on Liberty, published in 1952 by The Foundation for Economic Education in Irvington-on-Hudson, New York, Power corrupts, Ben Moreel wrote; "When a person gains power over other persons . . . They begin as honest men. Their motives for wanting to direct the actions of others may be purely patriotic and altruistic. Indeed, they may wish only 'to do good for the people.' But, apparently, the only way they can think of to do this 'good' is to impose more restrictive laws."

Moreel, who was the chairperson of the board of Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation in the United States explains that these persons who are corrupted by the process of ruling over their fellow men are not innately evil.

The question, of course, is what motivates this awful behaviour? Why does power corrupt?

Psychologists refer to this as the paradox of power. The very traits that helped leaders accumulate control in the first place all but disappear once they rise to power. Instead of being polite, honest and outgoing, they become impulsive, reckless and rude.

So, having tasted the sweetness of political power, most legislators and councillors in PM Tsvangirai's party, who joined government in 2009 after the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), are naturally eager to retain their positions.

But first, they have to clear the hurdle of elections, well intra-party elections, or at least that is what is supposed to happen.

But revelations that the MDC-T is attempting to protect sitting legislators from slugging it out against possible contenders in primary elections as the country trudges towards elections expected in March next year, have torched a storm.

The decision and announcement that sitting legislators will have to garner a two-thirds majority endorsement in their constituencies has opened a can of worms with critics and aspiring parliamentarians saying the party is seeking to protect certain individuals.

Apparently, the party's leaders say their constitution requires that where there are sitting MPs, an endorsement process takes place in which the incumbent is supposed to get two thirds majority as a vote of confidence from his/her constituency. Only areas where there are no sitting MPs will go straight to primary elections.

But critics have said this requirement is open to abuse as it encourages vote buying and hence is tantamount to imposition of candidates.

In fact, some have even suggested that MDC-T leaders have learnt fast from their erstwhile foes in ZANU-PF who have long been accused of imposing candidates on the electorate, a situation which some have said cost the party key votes in 2008 after facing an internal revolution dubbed bhora musango.

Critics have now warned of a similar situation within MDC-T, notwithstanding that ZANU-PF is again embroiled in such a fiasco.

Although MDC-T national organising secretary, Nelson Chamisa told a rally at the weekend that there will be no imposition of candidates, the clause in the party's constitution requiring the "endorsement" of a sitting office bearer as opposed to going straight to primary elections has drawn criticism that such policies perpetuate undemocratic tendencies and abuse of office.

Consequently, the MDC-T could lose the moral high ground to demand free and fair elections from President Mugabe if such machinations to spare sitting MPs from being contested succeed. The question therefore is, have MDC-T leaders not learnt anything from bhora musango? May be they have learnt nothing and forgotten nothing.