News / National
Biti's PDP gives Tsvangirai coalition manoeuvres thumbs up
24 Apr 2017 at 06:41hrs | Views
FORMER Finance minister, Tendai Biti's People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday gave the thumbs up to the proposed coalition of opposition parties to challenge President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF in next year's elections.
PDP secretary-general, Gorden Moyo, made the remarks after MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai last week signed coalition deals with Welshman Ncube (MDC) and the Joice Mujuru (National People's Party).
"PDP would have been worried if the current spate of memorandum of understandings (MoUs) was aimed at deconsolidating the political co-operation that is brewing in the country. But reading from the speeches presented at the signing ceremonies, PDP has no reason to believe that all these efforts will not lead to a truly inclusive political process come 2018," he said in a statement.
In the run-up to the 2013 harmonised elections, opposition parties held similar talks, but the deals collapsed amid reports of fierce jostling for leadership posts.
"PDP will continue to lobby for an inclusive political arrangement that will see all political parties, pressure groups, faith-based organisations, civil society and members of academia to converge for the sole purpose of approaching 2018, as a collective rather than as fragments.
"In line with its shared values and its respect for others, PDP shall not adversely comment on the internal efforts of colleague opposition parties, as long as those efforts are consolidating the notion of 'coalitional' approach towards 2018."
Moyo urged party organs to "redouble their efforts in building structures, registering voters and preparing for the 2018 elections".
MDC-T last week described the signing of the MoUs as "just the beginning of the building blocks towards establishing a broad alliance to confront Zanu-PF between now and the next election in 2018. Similar arrangements will be entered into with other political formations …"
PDP secretary-general, Gorden Moyo, made the remarks after MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai last week signed coalition deals with Welshman Ncube (MDC) and the Joice Mujuru (National People's Party).
"PDP would have been worried if the current spate of memorandum of understandings (MoUs) was aimed at deconsolidating the political co-operation that is brewing in the country. But reading from the speeches presented at the signing ceremonies, PDP has no reason to believe that all these efforts will not lead to a truly inclusive political process come 2018," he said in a statement.
In the run-up to the 2013 harmonised elections, opposition parties held similar talks, but the deals collapsed amid reports of fierce jostling for leadership posts.
"PDP will continue to lobby for an inclusive political arrangement that will see all political parties, pressure groups, faith-based organisations, civil society and members of academia to converge for the sole purpose of approaching 2018, as a collective rather than as fragments.
"In line with its shared values and its respect for others, PDP shall not adversely comment on the internal efforts of colleague opposition parties, as long as those efforts are consolidating the notion of 'coalitional' approach towards 2018."
Moyo urged party organs to "redouble their efforts in building structures, registering voters and preparing for the 2018 elections".
MDC-T last week described the signing of the MoUs as "just the beginning of the building blocks towards establishing a broad alliance to confront Zanu-PF between now and the next election in 2018. Similar arrangements will be entered into with other political formations …"
Source - newsday
