Source: ZimPF now wants coalition deal – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 12, 2017
ZIMBABWE People First (ZimPF) interim leader, Agrippa Mutambara has disclosed that his party was now planning to join other opposition parties in a coalition agreement ahead of next year’s general elections.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Mutambara said opposition parties can only be able to dislodge President Robert Mugabe if they entered the race as a united front.
“We have been seized with that problem over the years, where fragmentation of opposition parties has resulted in the opposition losing the elections. The focus we must have at the moment is to try and bring all opposition parties to some kind of coalition or alliance to challenge Zanu PF in the elections,” he said.
“Incidentally, I am the one who has been given the responsibility to lead that process on behalf of ZimPF. We will be holding meetings with all like-minded parties with a view of having some kind of alliance and coalition ahead of the elections.”
Mutambara’s call came as MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai has signed memoranda of understanding with National People’s Party leader Joice Mujuru, MDC’s Welshman Ncube and Transform Zimbabwe’s Jacob Ngarivhume.
ZimPF elders were reportedly against the formation of a coalition and this ultimately led to a break in their relations with former leader, Joice Mujuru, who was pushing for a united front against Mugabe.
Mutambara chided some top Zanu PF officials for stifling debate on Mugabe’s successor.
“Zanu PF’s policy of having one centre of power has really destroyed our nation. I don’t understand the logic of people denying that there should be a debate on succession. Within Zanu PF, in their internal democracy, they must accept that time will come when they have to change a leader, not only to wait for his death but even when he is still alive,” he said.
Mutambara was elected ZimPF interim leader following a fallout with Mujuru, who has since formed another opposition party, National People’s Party.
But Mutambara’s leadership of ZimPF is being challenged by party’s elders Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa.
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