Tendai Biti expects Tsvangirai MPs to join him en masse

THE MDC-T's leadership renewal team led by secretary-general Tendai Biti says it expects dozens of MDC-T legislators who were said to be behind party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, to join them en masse following the decision by the National Assembly Speaker, Jacob Mudenda, to refer the dispute between the two factions to court.

Renewal team spokesperson, Jacob Mafume, yesterday said the fact that the Speaker validated their application to protect the MPs would give confidence to most of them to join their side.

"There are many of our MPs who were being held back by the terror tactics of our colleagues, but now that the Speaker has made the decision that protects MPs, they're now free to express themselves as to who they support. We will see so many of them coming out in favour of renewal."

But Tsvangirai's camp dismissed the prospect of MPs ditching them for their erstwhile partners.

"It's a claim that will always be made by an outfit like that because the Speaker never ruled that the MDC cannot recall its members from Parliament," said spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora.

"Neither did he rule that Biti was the communicator. In fact the Speaker referred Biti's claim to leadership to the courts. The MDC therefore hasn't been stopped from recalling its members and it will proceed to recall. The Speaker couldn't rule on recall because we had not yet submitted our letter to recall."

Mwonzora maintained that seven MPs from Biti's camp had indicated that they wanted to go back to the party.He said they have told the MPs to put their requests in writing to allow the party leadership to look into them.

Some of the MPs who were expelled by Tsvangirai are Biti (Harare East), Solomon Madzore (Dzivarasekwa), Paul Madzore (Glen View South), Moses Manyengavana (Highfield West), Willias Madzimure (Kambuzuma), Samuel Sipepa Nkomo (Lobengula), Bekithemba Nyathi (Pelandaba - Mpopoma), Evelyn Masaiti (Proportional Representation), Settlement Chikwinya (Mbizo), Reggie Moyo (Luveve) and Watchy Sibanda (Senator, Matabeleland South).

There were also claims by some sections of the media that rest of the MPs had expressed their allegiance to Tsvangirai.

National Assembly Speaker Cde Mudenda on Thursday dismissed Mr Tsvangirai's request to expel from Parliament legislators aligned to Biti, advising him to approach the courts to determine who is in charge of the opposition party since the two camps claimed legitimacy over the other.