The Tendai Biti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed claims made in a document circulating on social media alleging that the party has agreed to be part of an alliance where it has been allocated eight parliamentary seats.
BY SILAS NKALA
The document claims that the PDP’s bargaining team in the grand coalition talks had settled for only eight seats, much to the chagrin of the leaders who said negotiations had not yet reached the stage of distribution of seats, let alone settling on who would be the sole presidential candidate of the coalition in the 2018 election.
In a communication sent to the party provincial chairpersons and provincial executives, PDP secretary-general Gorden Moyo said the document was fake and malicious and should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.
“While the party is involved in coalition talks with other opposition parties, I would like to put it on record that no such ridiculous deal has been agreed by PDP negotiators. An official party position on the coalition shall be communicated to all the party organs via the official party channels,” he said.
“To that extent, a general council meeting has been scheduled for August 12, 2017. Other details shall be availed in due course.”
The meeting was set to discuss the coalition issues and the allegations being made about the party’s position.
The PDP’s remarks came after reports indicating that the proposed grand coalition to challenge President Robert Mugabe’s reign in next year’s general elections was now set to be officially launched on August 5.
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Sources said seven parties, minus Joice Mujuru’s National People’s Party, had officially endorsed the pact with the official launch to be held at Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield, Harare, on Saturday.
The coalition talks started last year, but the process has been dogged by several hitches, among them mistrust by party leaders, prompting others such as Mujuru to pursue their own separate alliances. The process was initiated by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Mujuru, Welshman Ncube (MDC), Jacob Ngarivhume (Transform Zimbabwe) and Biti.
