'It's a clumsy coup d'état attempt,' says Mwonzora

The MDC has dismissed the suspension of party president Morgan Tsvangirai and the party's top hierarchy by rebels calling for leadership renewal yesterday as a clumsy coup d'état attempt.
In an interview with the Daily News on Sunday yesterday, MDC spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said the meeting was meant to destabilise the party.
"This is a clumsy attempt at a coup d'état by some timid leaders who are too spineless to contest leadership of the party at congress," Mwonzora said.
He said the gathering which was called for by party secretary-general Tendai Biti was not a meeting of the national council - the supreme governing body outside congress.
"Biti does not call national council meetings, only the chairperson and president have the right to call meetings. His duty is to simply write formally advising members of the council," he said.
Mwonzora added; "This is part of the elaborate covert programme by State security agents, Zanu-PF, Mugabe and Welshman Ncube to destabilise and de-brand the MDC."
The MDC rebels however, insisted yesterday they did everything above board and were already preparing for the next election under a new leadership.
Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday soon after the meeting, the rebels' spokesperson, Jacob Mafume said:
"We will now look at how we are going to tackle the next election under a new president. We also need to engage other
opposition parties because we have realised that we need to come up with a united front to fight dictatorship," Mafume said.
He said the meeting declared the expulsion of deputy treasurer general Elton Mangoma, youth assembly chairperson Solomon Madzore and nation executive member Last Maengahama as unconstitutional. 
The meeting was chaired by Samuel Sipepa Nkomo who is also a member of the advisory council to the president.
But Mwonzora queried how suspended individuals would sit and deliberate on their suspension.
"It is such an awkward thing to have happened in the presence of a lawyer of Biti's experience that a suspended person sits to determine his suspension. It is so amateurish, it confounds the mind," he said.
Other top party leaders who attended the renewal team meeting are youth president Solomon Madzore, Promise Mkwananzi, Mangoma, provincial chairpersons; Paul Madzore (Harare), Wachi Sibanda (Matabeleland South), Wilfstus Sitemere (Masvingo), Costin Muguti (Midlands North), Julius Magarangoma (Manicaland), Sengezo Tshabangu (Matabeleland North), Bulawayo provincial secretary Regie Moyo and Evelyn Masaiti.