Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has rubbished reports that he attempted to “smuggle” the MDC leader Professor Welshman Ncube into the Principals’ meeting.
Tsvangirai said the reports were false and malicious. Ncube, has also dismissed the reports. The Herald newspaper on Tuesday reported the MDC-T was allegedly pushing to modify the meetings of the GPA to “smuggle” Ncube in.
The paper said it was reliably informed that “the US, UK and some members of the EU want a united MDC as they now believe the emergence of the Welshman Ncube–led MDC and other parties in Matabeleland has cost Mr Tsvangirai some ground in that region”.
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka said: “For the record, it was President (Robert) Mugabe who brought the issue of Professor Ncube into the discussion at the Principals’ meeting on Monday.
“The President told the meeting that the Professor Ncube-led political formation was seeking to have its leader included in the meetings even though it (MDC) maintained that Professor Mutambara may remain in his position as Deputy Prime Minister.
“It was then agreed that this was an internal party issue which was still before the courts. Professor Mutambara was then urged to talk to his colleagues to sort out their internal party conflict, which was, in any case, still before the courts.”
Added Tamborinyoka: “It is mischievous for anyone to suggest that the PM brought the issue up for discussion because he wanted to assist the so-called unity talks, which seem to exist only in the pages of The Herald and nowhere else.
In fact, it is journalistic and political truancy, to suggest that the mainstream MDC has lost support in Matabeleland when in fact the facts speak for themselves.”
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Kurauone Chihwayi, the MDC deputy spokesperson, said:
“It is also a complete fabrication that the MDC has been or is under any pressure from Western powers or any other quarter to go into any unity or coalition with the MDC-T.
“For the avoidance of doubt we place it on record that we have never been subjected to any pressure by any Western powers over the matter of unity or coalition with the MDC-T. We are masters of our destiny and every country which has ever held any discourse with us would know that we are not ones to be told what to do by any foreign power.”
