MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has summoned members of his party’s national executive committee to an urgent meeting today to review their position in the MDC Alliance amid reports of fierce resistance by his lieutenants.
BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
The MDC-T indaba comes at a time the Tendai Biti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Zanu Ndonga were also haggling over the terms of the pact.
Fierce fights have reportedly rocked the PDP and Zanu Ndonga with the parties’ lower structures accusing their leaders of unilaterally signing the coalition deal without consulting stakeholders and turning themselves into appendages of the MDC-T.
Seven opposition parties last month met in Harare under the auspices of the MDC Alliance and endorsed Tsvangirai as their leader.
PDP deputy spokesperson George Mkwananzi early this week accused Biti of having negotiated an agreement that gave “personal packages to the Harare leadership under the coalition while overlooking the party’s strongholds outside the capital”.
Zanu Ndonga leader Denford Masiyarira also claimed that the party’s representative, Aerial Sakuinje, had no right to sign the MDC Alliance deal on behalf of the party leadership.
MDC-T spokesman Obert Gutu confirmed today’s meeting, saying coalitions were never easy to form.
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“The national executive council is meeting tomorrow (today). Coalitions are never a stroll in the park nor are they a sprint, but a marathon. We have crossed the Rubicon, but there will always be hurdles on the way because this is the first opposition coalition post-independence,” Gutu said.
Gutu was diplomatic on the issues affecting the alliance despite various sources saying the contention was about sharing parliamentary seats among the parties.
“We are having some teething problems just like in any organisation, but we will settle them,” he said.
Tsvangirai is also facing rebellion from the party’s Matabeleland structures which are not comfortable with the alliance agreement. The calls are being spearheaded by party deputy president Thokozani Khupe, party chairman Lovemore Moyo and deputy organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe.
