Tsvangirai gives nod to opposition coalition

By Staff Reporter

The leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai has set conditions for a possible coalition with ZimPF’s Joice Mujuru and Welshman Ncube’s MDC, but seemed to shut out People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Tendai Biti, local media reported today.

Tsvangirai reportedly said his party sought a pact “that minimises the unknowns by providing an equitable and scientific and objective basis for approaching the election based on known strengths of political leaders and parties nationally and in given electoral districts”.

This approach is seen as shutting out Biti, whose party has not contested in any election since its formation two years ago.

Although Ncube’s party fared badly in the last election, the local NewsDay newspaper, quoting  MDC sources,  said the party was satisfied they had an electoral base compared to the “unknown” PDP and the 13 other parties that have been pushing for a coalition.

A coalition with either Ncube or Biti would come as a surprise for many, as there is bad blood between the leader of the splinter MDC, the break-away PDP leader respectively and Tsvangirai since an acrimonious split in 2005 and a series of failed re-unification talks over the years.

Tsvangirai is said to be amenable to a union with Mujuru, as she is seen as bringing in a bloc of disgruntled and axed Zanu PF members and also has the liberation war gravitas, that many say is essential to leading the country.

The MDC-T leader told a Press conference after an MDC-T national council meeting yesterday that the envisaged coalition would field a single candidate to contest the presidential polls, one parliamentary contester in each constituency and a solitary nominee in each council ward in the 2018 elections.

“In this regard, we will engage with and seek to enter into an electoral alliance with political parties who share or subscribe to our vision of a society that prides itself for not leaving anyone behind in their pursuit of freedom, prosperity and happiness,” he said.

The MDC-T leader did not give a time-frame for the setting-up of a coalition, although he conceded they had to deal with matters of building confidence first before agreeing. Nehanda Radio