News / National
Tendai Biti wants a united force to oust Mugabe
26 Mar 2014 at 09:28hrs | Views
MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti has denied reports that he intends to form a political party, but instead wants "progressive forces" to join hands and put forward a common candidate to front a formidable force against President Robert Mugabe.
In an interview on Tuesday, Biti said he had been misunderstood.
"I never talked about the formation of a new party, people did not read what I wrote, I am saying we (opposition parties) should find a common ground to fight this dictatorship," he said.
"I am talking about a united democratic front, where all parties in need of democratic change should find a common platform in order to unseat Zanu-PF," he said in a telephone interview.
Recent media reports indicated that Biti had proposed the formation of a new political movement that "recognised the ethos of the liberation struggle" to challenge Zanu-PF, signifying a complete break with his MDC-T party.
The party, Biti is reportedly to have told a Southern African Political and Economic Series (SAPES) dialogue in Harare, would be called the United Democratic Front and would bring together existing opposition parties and civic society.
"We have to build a UDF, a United Democratic Front.
"We have to build a United Democratic Front that is ready for an explosion that can take place in this country, a front that is also ready to talk to the many progressing forces that I know are in the liberation movement," the former Finance Minister was quoted as having said on March 6.
"And also this UDF, I am proposing must find accommodation within the liberation struggle. We can't put a durawall (precast wall) with the liberation struggle. The liberation struggle is not our enemy. It liberated some of us. Some of us could be uneducated fools herding cattle in Murewa."
But sources within the MDC-T said Biti planned to lead the coalition of the opposition parties and claimed the recent outreach by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai was a way of trying to upstage Biti as the acrimonious battle for control of the opposition party intensifies
The United States which has been supporting the MDC-T is reportedly keen to see a grand coalition of opposition parties in Zimbabwe to unseat Zanu-PF.
Biti is said to be one of those seeking leadership renewal in the MDC-T which party deputy national treasurer Elton Mangoma has called for.
Mangoma has since been suspended on charges of factionalism after penning two letters calling on Tsvangirai to resign.
In an interview on Tuesday, Biti said he had been misunderstood.
"I never talked about the formation of a new party, people did not read what I wrote, I am saying we (opposition parties) should find a common ground to fight this dictatorship," he said.
"I am talking about a united democratic front, where all parties in need of democratic change should find a common platform in order to unseat Zanu-PF," he said in a telephone interview.
Recent media reports indicated that Biti had proposed the formation of a new political movement that "recognised the ethos of the liberation struggle" to challenge Zanu-PF, signifying a complete break with his MDC-T party.
The party, Biti is reportedly to have told a Southern African Political and Economic Series (SAPES) dialogue in Harare, would be called the United Democratic Front and would bring together existing opposition parties and civic society.
"We have to build a United Democratic Front that is ready for an explosion that can take place in this country, a front that is also ready to talk to the many progressing forces that I know are in the liberation movement," the former Finance Minister was quoted as having said on March 6.
"And also this UDF, I am proposing must find accommodation within the liberation struggle. We can't put a durawall (precast wall) with the liberation struggle. The liberation struggle is not our enemy. It liberated some of us. Some of us could be uneducated fools herding cattle in Murewa."
But sources within the MDC-T said Biti planned to lead the coalition of the opposition parties and claimed the recent outreach by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai was a way of trying to upstage Biti as the acrimonious battle for control of the opposition party intensifies
The United States which has been supporting the MDC-T is reportedly keen to see a grand coalition of opposition parties in Zimbabwe to unseat Zanu-PF.
Biti is said to be one of those seeking leadership renewal in the MDC-T which party deputy national treasurer Elton Mangoma has called for.
Mangoma has since been suspended on charges of factionalism after penning two letters calling on Tsvangirai to resign.
Source - Zim Mail
