News / National
Tsvangirai digs in over coalition suggestions
04 Jul 2017 at 16:09hrs | Views
The MDC-T is digging in its heels over suggestions that the planned grand coalition should be led by a neutral person to end sharp differences over this emotive issue, saying only Morgan Tsvangirai has the stamina to face President Robert Mugabe in next year's polls.
MDC faithful hinted to the Daily News yesterday that they might as well contest the 2018 elections separately than allow a rank outsider to step up to the plate when they have an experienced politician like Tsvangirai to finish off what they started in 1999, when the party was formed.
Only last week, Tsvangirai was in Kenya, where he is believed to have been "taking notes" from his counterpart, Raila Odinga, who is heading a coalition against President Uhuru Kenyatta in elections slated for next month.
The Daily News revealed yesterday that a section of the civil society wants a neutral leader to head the alliance to end the serious haggling among opposition leaders over who should lead the coalition.
When the MDC was established 18 years ago, the civil society, along with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, were instrumental in its formation.
A senior civil society leader, Brian Kagoro, has gone on record, saying opposition parties must choose a neutral leader, if they cannot settle for one amongst themselves.
Over the weekend, former vice president Joice Mujuru was also quoted saying they may enlist the services of a mediator to break the leadership impasse.
Mujuru, who leads the National People's Party, claims she is the most qualified to lead the alliance because of her experience in government and her war credentials.
The security sector has in previous polls been on record saying the office of the President was a "straight jacket", implying it can only be occupied by someone who participated in the war of liberation.
One of Mugabe's favourite punch lines is that Tsvangirai is a coward who ran away from the guerrilla war and should not be voted for presidency.
But in the court of public opinion, the former vice president is trailing Tsvangirai, whom many neutrals feel has the numbers on his side to give Mugabe a good run for his money.
While all the opposition parties are in agreement that a coalition is the only way to go, the leadership issue has been dominating the talks, with MDC vice president, Nelson Chamisa, saying only Tsvangirai is qualified to lead the grouping.
"Without being bullish or macho, it is my humble submission that for any coalition to gain traction with the people of Zimbabwe, there has to be a rallying point, there has to be a centre that holds and in the democratic struggle we have our best foot forward in a man dreaded and feared by the opposition Zanu-PF party and that focal point is Tsvangirai," Chamisa said in an interview with the Daily News, adding that his boss had a track record, having defeated Mugabe in the first round of the 2008 poll although he fell short of achieving the threshold required to be declared victorious.
" . . . so let us not major on minors while we minor in major things, creating all this hullabaloo about who will lead", he said.
MDC officials still maintain, however, that they are not looking back on the idea of forming a coalition.
MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said that their detractors are salivating and wishing the collapse of the coalition talks, adding that this will not happen.
"Our coalition strategy as the MDC led by . . . Tsvangirai has always been very clear and unambiguous. We don't negotiate in the media and neither do we negotiate in public.
" . . . Tsvangirai is personally handling the coalition negotiations process and so far, we are perfectly happy with the progress that has been made. Let me make it abundantly clear that there is no irretrievable breakdown in our relationship with other opposition political parties, and that includes the NPP led by Joice Mujuru," Gutu said.
The coalition is being discussed amid claims that the Zanu-PF party is running scared and is keenly following on the developments, hoping the process will be scuttled along the way.
The idea of a coalition received a boost recently when Tsvangirai signed Memorandums of Understanding with Mujuru and Welshman Ncube's smaller MDC faction.
Analysts are unanimous that too many political parties will no doubt split the votes in favour of Zanu-PF.
In the 2008 polls, Tsvangirai was denied outright victory after Simba Makoni of Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn entered the presidential race a few months before the polls and managed to get eight percent of the votes. Tsvangirai's followers claim the MDC leader could have sealed it in the first round without the need for a run-off that saw Tsvangirai pulling out citing widespread violence against his supporters and officials.
Zimbabwe currently has over 40 opposition political parties, some of which are believed to have been created by Zanu-PF to create confusion and divide the votes.
Only last week, former Industry and International Trade minister Nkosana Moyo, launched his political group Alliance for the People's Agenda in Harare.
The former African Development Bank vice president had a short stint in Mugabe's administration, as his Industry and Trade minister between 2000 and 2001, before suddenly resigning to retrace his footsteps in business, disenchanted with his leadership style.
This was preceded by another announcement by Harare lawyer Fadzayi Mahere that she will also stand as an independent for the Mt Pleasant parliamentary seat.
Ncube's party yesterday said that there are no disagreements in as far as they are concerned in terms of the formation of a coalition ahead of the 2018 elections.
The party's spokesperson Kurauone Chihwayi said that he is not aware of any disagreements threatening the coalition building process.
"The issue of a mediator is not anywhere closer to the negotiating table. As far as we are concerned the bilateral and multilateral engagements are currently progressing quite well. The MDC is too committed to sincere negotiations and is engaging other political parties in good faith. Mediation is a conflict killing approach and works very well when partners are in disagreements, it works but not now," Chihwayi said.
Tendai Biti's People's Democratic Party spokesperson, Jacob Mafume, said the focus right now has to be on forming the coalition as opposed to who must lead.
"We have said let's have the coalition first. We run the risk of having leaders without the coalition. We can agree on the process of choosing a leader in that agreement. If people want a mediator it's okay but I do believe that people can present their views and work something out," Mafume said.
Political analyst Eldred Masunungure told the Daily News that the country's political situation does not give space for another political party that seriously expects to get traction.
"The idea of launching a political party just a year before an election is not strategic. There are already too many political parties. It (forming a new party) would worsen the situation.
"For Zanu-PF, they will be celebrating, it would actually say the more the merrier. I don't think the electorate will buy into the new formation," Masunungure said.
Political analyst Gladys Hlatywayo said in as far as it is a democratic right for people to form their own political parties, it obviously negatively impacts on the outcome.
"It's more strategic to have one opposition presidential candidate in the 2018 election in order not to split the vote," said Hlatywayo.
MDC faithful hinted to the Daily News yesterday that they might as well contest the 2018 elections separately than allow a rank outsider to step up to the plate when they have an experienced politician like Tsvangirai to finish off what they started in 1999, when the party was formed.
Only last week, Tsvangirai was in Kenya, where he is believed to have been "taking notes" from his counterpart, Raila Odinga, who is heading a coalition against President Uhuru Kenyatta in elections slated for next month.
The Daily News revealed yesterday that a section of the civil society wants a neutral leader to head the alliance to end the serious haggling among opposition leaders over who should lead the coalition.
When the MDC was established 18 years ago, the civil society, along with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, were instrumental in its formation.
A senior civil society leader, Brian Kagoro, has gone on record, saying opposition parties must choose a neutral leader, if they cannot settle for one amongst themselves.
Over the weekend, former vice president Joice Mujuru was also quoted saying they may enlist the services of a mediator to break the leadership impasse.
Mujuru, who leads the National People's Party, claims she is the most qualified to lead the alliance because of her experience in government and her war credentials.
The security sector has in previous polls been on record saying the office of the President was a "straight jacket", implying it can only be occupied by someone who participated in the war of liberation.
One of Mugabe's favourite punch lines is that Tsvangirai is a coward who ran away from the guerrilla war and should not be voted for presidency.
But in the court of public opinion, the former vice president is trailing Tsvangirai, whom many neutrals feel has the numbers on his side to give Mugabe a good run for his money.
While all the opposition parties are in agreement that a coalition is the only way to go, the leadership issue has been dominating the talks, with MDC vice president, Nelson Chamisa, saying only Tsvangirai is qualified to lead the grouping.
"Without being bullish or macho, it is my humble submission that for any coalition to gain traction with the people of Zimbabwe, there has to be a rallying point, there has to be a centre that holds and in the democratic struggle we have our best foot forward in a man dreaded and feared by the opposition Zanu-PF party and that focal point is Tsvangirai," Chamisa said in an interview with the Daily News, adding that his boss had a track record, having defeated Mugabe in the first round of the 2008 poll although he fell short of achieving the threshold required to be declared victorious.
" . . . so let us not major on minors while we minor in major things, creating all this hullabaloo about who will lead", he said.
MDC officials still maintain, however, that they are not looking back on the idea of forming a coalition.
MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said that their detractors are salivating and wishing the collapse of the coalition talks, adding that this will not happen.
"Our coalition strategy as the MDC led by . . . Tsvangirai has always been very clear and unambiguous. We don't negotiate in the media and neither do we negotiate in public.
" . . . Tsvangirai is personally handling the coalition negotiations process and so far, we are perfectly happy with the progress that has been made. Let me make it abundantly clear that there is no irretrievable breakdown in our relationship with other opposition political parties, and that includes the NPP led by Joice Mujuru," Gutu said.
The coalition is being discussed amid claims that the Zanu-PF party is running scared and is keenly following on the developments, hoping the process will be scuttled along the way.
The idea of a coalition received a boost recently when Tsvangirai signed Memorandums of Understanding with Mujuru and Welshman Ncube's smaller MDC faction.
Analysts are unanimous that too many political parties will no doubt split the votes in favour of Zanu-PF.
In the 2008 polls, Tsvangirai was denied outright victory after Simba Makoni of Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn entered the presidential race a few months before the polls and managed to get eight percent of the votes. Tsvangirai's followers claim the MDC leader could have sealed it in the first round without the need for a run-off that saw Tsvangirai pulling out citing widespread violence against his supporters and officials.
Zimbabwe currently has over 40 opposition political parties, some of which are believed to have been created by Zanu-PF to create confusion and divide the votes.
Only last week, former Industry and International Trade minister Nkosana Moyo, launched his political group Alliance for the People's Agenda in Harare.
The former African Development Bank vice president had a short stint in Mugabe's administration, as his Industry and Trade minister between 2000 and 2001, before suddenly resigning to retrace his footsteps in business, disenchanted with his leadership style.
This was preceded by another announcement by Harare lawyer Fadzayi Mahere that she will also stand as an independent for the Mt Pleasant parliamentary seat.
Ncube's party yesterday said that there are no disagreements in as far as they are concerned in terms of the formation of a coalition ahead of the 2018 elections.
The party's spokesperson Kurauone Chihwayi said that he is not aware of any disagreements threatening the coalition building process.
"The issue of a mediator is not anywhere closer to the negotiating table. As far as we are concerned the bilateral and multilateral engagements are currently progressing quite well. The MDC is too committed to sincere negotiations and is engaging other political parties in good faith. Mediation is a conflict killing approach and works very well when partners are in disagreements, it works but not now," Chihwayi said.
Tendai Biti's People's Democratic Party spokesperson, Jacob Mafume, said the focus right now has to be on forming the coalition as opposed to who must lead.
"We have said let's have the coalition first. We run the risk of having leaders without the coalition. We can agree on the process of choosing a leader in that agreement. If people want a mediator it's okay but I do believe that people can present their views and work something out," Mafume said.
Political analyst Eldred Masunungure told the Daily News that the country's political situation does not give space for another political party that seriously expects to get traction.
"The idea of launching a political party just a year before an election is not strategic. There are already too many political parties. It (forming a new party) would worsen the situation.
"For Zanu-PF, they will be celebrating, it would actually say the more the merrier. I don't think the electorate will buy into the new formation," Masunungure said.
Political analyst Gladys Hlatywayo said in as far as it is a democratic right for people to form their own political parties, it obviously negatively impacts on the outcome.
"It's more strategic to have one opposition presidential candidate in the 2018 election in order not to split the vote," said Hlatywayo.
Source - dailynews
