MDC-T senior official rules out grand coalition

A senior MDC-T official, who requested anonymity ruled out the possibility of a grand coalition before this month's make-or-break elections.

"People should wake up to the reality that there won't be a grand coalition involving Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube," said the official.

"The two have never attended a meeting where they discussed that issue. There is no agreement in place."

The official also dismissed reports that Tendai Biti would take over from Khupe as MDC-T vice-president.

"The reports by the State media that Tendai Biti will replace Thokozani Khupe as vice-president are hogwash. Khupe was elected at congress and Biti is secretary-general, I really don't know where this is coming from."

MDC secretary general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, in an interview after filing Ncube's nomination papers, said no one had approached them to talk "about a coalition".

"No one has approached us to talk about a coalition. We have only been reading it in the papers," she said.

But other analysts speculated that the Ncube-Dabengwa mini-alliance was a prequel to the grand coalition of all the five parties which is to be announced this week.

They said the two staged the event to throw off the scent of their real strategy.

Obert Gutu, who announced last week he had been appointed Tsvangirai's chief election agent, yesterday afternoon hinted that negotiations for the grand coalition were ongoing. He wrote on his Facebook wall: "And who said the grand coalition has flopped? Surely, surely the gods must be crazy! This morbid campaign of misinformation and disinformation will drive some people nuts."