Tsvangirai, Biti fight goes on

THE quest for legitimacy in MDC factions led by Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and Mr Tendai Biti has gone a gear up with the two factions set to hold separate congresses that will confirm their spilt.

Mr Tsvangirai's faction is set to hold an elective congress in October while Mr Biti's camp says it is not under pressure to go for congress. Sources said the camp will go for congress in March next year.

"We are going to have our congress in October and those other ones (Biti's camp) are no factors anymore," said MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora.

"They have formed their party which they are yet to find a name for."

But yesterday spokesperson for the Biti faction, Mr Jacob Mafume, said they would not recognise the Tsvangirai camp congress.

"We dispute any of the processes on the other side because it is in violation of the Constitution. The only legitimate congress is the one that we will hold.

"Those ones are only going to have a meeting to endorse Tsvangirai while those who are against him will be purged. For that reason we dispute that it can be called a congress because doing so would be stretching the meaning of congress too far because that is just going to be a praise and worship session," said Mr Mafume.

He said Mr Tsvangirai's faction was desperate to hold a congress to fill the gaps created by senior officials aligned to Mr Biti.

Mr Mafume said Mr Tsvangirai and some of the officials had been suspended making their October congress illegitimate.

Senior party officials have of late been dumping Mr Tsvangirai for Mr Biti.