'Big tent talks still ongoing,' says MDC-T

Morgan Tsvangirai's spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said coalition talks are ongoing, and that through platforms such as National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera), all parties interested in the alliance were "slowly finding each other".

His comments come after concerns have been raised by the simmering tension within some ranks of the opposition, which has the potential of getting in the way of the mooted grand coalition.

"Our position has not changed. Positions are not the issue here but conditions. We are ready to work with others in dealing with the crisis in the country. For now, we are coalescing around issues. The electoral reform agenda is the issue we are coalescing around as political parties.

"For us it (the coalition) is about conditions and not positions. Norton is a prime example of what happens when people work together. So, we are getting there as Zimbabweans," he said.

Contacted for comment yesterday, ZPF spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire fingered Zanu PF for "trying to destabilise opposition parties", to avoid the formation of a grand coalition.

"The coalition is on course and as parties we have chosen not to do our negotiations in public. As ZPF, we know there are people desperate to scuttle the proposed coalition of political parties and part of the strategy is straining relationships among the top leaders of the parties involved.

"However, we know that the will of the people, which is to see a united opposition in 2018, will be respected and is on firm ground. It can never be derailed by contrived statements cooked by enemies of the people who mischievously attribute the same statements to our leaders," he said.

Both MDC and ZPF officials have variously made divisive statements about who should lead the coalition, even though opposition parties coalescing under the banner of Nera are yet to firm up the idea of the coalition and pronounce on their leadership principles.

The renewed efforts to unite the opposition comes as newly-elected Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa, has said a grand opposition coalition led by Tsvangirai, and including war veterans, would definitely beat Mugabe and his warring Zanu PF in the 2018 national elections.

Elaborating further on the possible role that Mujuru could take in the mooted coalition, Mliswa said "the problem with People First is that it has relegated the founders to the terraces", after "she was invited to the party".

"My concern is that Mujuru is trying to relegate people like (former State Security minister Didymus) Mutasa and (former Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare) Gumbo when they are the founders of the party. Those people principally suffered for Mujuru.

"In Norton, we stood up against the brutal Zanu PF regime. The election was testing the coalition and electoral reforms and I don't have to be a member of the MDC to support Tsvangirai. Zanu PF rigs elections but without war veterans they are nothing.

"People should also realise that both Mujuru and (vice president) Emmerson Mnangagwa were hand-picked by Mugabe while Tsvangirai has his own massive constituency. So let's all back Tsvangirai for 2018," he said.