News / National
Coalition against Mugabe: 'It is Tsvangirai or never'
04 Jul 2017 at 07:03hrs | Views
The MDC, Zimbabwe's largest opposition party, is digging in its heels over suggestions that the planned grand coalition should be led by a neutral person to end sharp differences over this emotive issue saying only Morgan Tsvangirai has the stamina to face President Robert Mugabe in next year's polls.
MDC faithful hinted that they might as well contest the 2018 elections separately than allow a rank outsider to step up to the plate.
MDC-T vice-president Nelson Chamisa has warned opposition colleagues that they cannot expect to enjoy the spoils of a struggle which they did not sacrifice for, as parties try to form a united front against Zanu-PF.
Addressing a youth rally in Chitungwiza on Saturday, Chamisa said Tsvangirai must lead the mooted opposition coalition.
"I want you to know that when hunting there are those who will be following the one chasing the prey and when he is about to catch the prey you see them sharpening their knives."
Mavambo leader, Simba Makoni, has warned that the planned "grand coalition" against President Robert Mugabe could suffer a still birth because intolerance and lack of vision among the opposition movements.
The parties are however, failing to agree on who should lead the envisaged coalition between MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai and the former State vice president and now National People's Party president, Joice Mujuru.
Tsvangirai's backers insist he is the automatic choice since he has a strong national support base proven in past electoral record.
One the other hand, Mujuru's supporters say she has the trust of former liberation war fighters and the security services who have indicated they would not allow Tsvangirai to take over power even if he were to win against Mugabe.
human rights lawyer, Brian Kagoro, recently argued that leadership issues should not take centre stage in the coalition bid.
"The struggle should never be whether it is Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Joice Mujuru, Simba Makoni or Dumiso Dabengwa who should lead the coalition," he said.
"If they cannot agree among themselves on whom should lead let them find a neutral person to lead because I know they are saying to Zimbabweans that we are not narcissistic self-interested leaders; we are interested in the transformation and not necessarily just the replacement of Robert Mugabe with a younger version of an autocrat.
"So, if this is the agenda why is the question of who is the leader necessarily important?"
MDC faithful hinted that they might as well contest the 2018 elections separately than allow a rank outsider to step up to the plate.
MDC-T vice-president Nelson Chamisa has warned opposition colleagues that they cannot expect to enjoy the spoils of a struggle which they did not sacrifice for, as parties try to form a united front against Zanu-PF.
Addressing a youth rally in Chitungwiza on Saturday, Chamisa said Tsvangirai must lead the mooted opposition coalition.
"I want you to know that when hunting there are those who will be following the one chasing the prey and when he is about to catch the prey you see them sharpening their knives."
Mavambo leader, Simba Makoni, has warned that the planned "grand coalition" against President Robert Mugabe could suffer a still birth because intolerance and lack of vision among the opposition movements.
Tsvangirai's backers insist he is the automatic choice since he has a strong national support base proven in past electoral record.
One the other hand, Mujuru's supporters say she has the trust of former liberation war fighters and the security services who have indicated they would not allow Tsvangirai to take over power even if he were to win against Mugabe.
human rights lawyer, Brian Kagoro, recently argued that leadership issues should not take centre stage in the coalition bid.
"The struggle should never be whether it is Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Joice Mujuru, Simba Makoni or Dumiso Dabengwa who should lead the coalition," he said.
"If they cannot agree among themselves on whom should lead let them find a neutral person to lead because I know they are saying to Zimbabweans that we are not narcissistic self-interested leaders; we are interested in the transformation and not necessarily just the replacement of Robert Mugabe with a younger version of an autocrat.
"So, if this is the agenda why is the question of who is the leader necessarily important?"
Source - dailynews
