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Biti's PDP has not formally signed any alliance agreement with Tsvangirai
26 Sep 2017 at 06:35hrs | Views
PEOPLE'S Democratic Party (PDP) general council members have organised an urgent meeting this weekend to resolve their differences and decide whether they should go to bed with MDC Alliance led by Morgan Tsvangirai or formally join a separate coalition pact involving Joice Mujuru's National People's Party.
The party leadership gave conflicting signals at the weekend with PDP leader Tendai Biti throwing his weight behind Tsvangirai, while his lieutenants from the Matabeleland region rallied behind a regional pact led by Mujuru and Zapu.
PDP national spokesman, Jacob Mafume confirmed the party was divided and was set to hold an urgent general council meeting to find common ground.
"We are calling a general council meeting this week or if that fails, next week to finalise alliance talks and endorse the agreements. The alliance should be focused more on removing (President Robert) Mugabe from power in next year's polls," he said.
Mafume conceded that the party had not formally signed any alliance agreement with Tsvangirai.
"There is no agreement yet, but we see it as the most viable option to unseat Mugabe and we should not waste time on parliamentary seats distribution," he said.
PDP deputy spokesman, George Mkhwanazi yesterday claimed that the party's secretary-general, Gorden Moyo had the power to sign an alliance agreement with Mujuru in line with the management committee resolution passed in Gweru last month.
He accused PDP members of supporting the MDC Alliance for selfish ends.
"It is worth noting that those who want to remain loyal to the abusive relationship with the MDC Alliance do so being motivated by selfish desires to illicitly promote their waning political careers, not party interests as they have dismally failed to back up the popularity of their sell-out position with any grassroots show of endorsement.
"We have only witnessed from them an insatiable appetite to attend elitist power-sharing tea meetings in tourist resort venues," Mkhwanazi said.
Opposition parties are in agreement they need a united front to unseat Zanu-PF in the 2018 harmonised elections, but the talks have left the parties more divided. Mugabe has said the MDC Alliance poses no threat to the ruling Zanu-PF, describing the opposition parties alliance as a coalition of zeros.
The party leadership gave conflicting signals at the weekend with PDP leader Tendai Biti throwing his weight behind Tsvangirai, while his lieutenants from the Matabeleland region rallied behind a regional pact led by Mujuru and Zapu.
PDP national spokesman, Jacob Mafume confirmed the party was divided and was set to hold an urgent general council meeting to find common ground.
"We are calling a general council meeting this week or if that fails, next week to finalise alliance talks and endorse the agreements. The alliance should be focused more on removing (President Robert) Mugabe from power in next year's polls," he said.
Mafume conceded that the party had not formally signed any alliance agreement with Tsvangirai.
PDP deputy spokesman, George Mkhwanazi yesterday claimed that the party's secretary-general, Gorden Moyo had the power to sign an alliance agreement with Mujuru in line with the management committee resolution passed in Gweru last month.
He accused PDP members of supporting the MDC Alliance for selfish ends.
"It is worth noting that those who want to remain loyal to the abusive relationship with the MDC Alliance do so being motivated by selfish desires to illicitly promote their waning political careers, not party interests as they have dismally failed to back up the popularity of their sell-out position with any grassroots show of endorsement.
"We have only witnessed from them an insatiable appetite to attend elitist power-sharing tea meetings in tourist resort venues," Mkhwanazi said.
Opposition parties are in agreement they need a united front to unseat Zanu-PF in the 2018 harmonised elections, but the talks have left the parties more divided. Mugabe has said the MDC Alliance poses no threat to the ruling Zanu-PF, describing the opposition parties alliance as a coalition of zeros.
Source - newsday
