Source: Coalition deal historic, game changer: PDP
THE opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has described as historic the coalition deal reached by several other parties earlier this week which will see them fielding only one candidate for all contested positions in the next elections due in 2018.
“This is indeed a game changer for Zimbabwean politics as political parties have put aside their differences in order to work for the common good of Zimbabwe,” said PDP spokesman Jacob Mafume in a statement.
“It will ensure that the vote of the opposition remains the vote of the opposition by fielding only one candidate in all contested positions and at all levels, the Local Government, National Assembly, Senate and most importantly, the Presidency.”
Parties that signed the Coalition of Democrats Agreement (CODE) agreement on Tuesday include ZUNDE, DARE, MDC led by Prof Welshman Ncube, RDZ and Simba Makoni’s MKD.
PDP leader and former finance minister Tendai Biti attended the signing ceremony and commended the deal saying: “if you want to go fast go alone, [but] if you want to go far go with others”.
The party has however yet to join the coalition.
“We hope to complete our internal processes soon and too append our signatures to a process we have been a part of since 2014,” Mafume explained.
“The PDP would like to assure the nation that it is a firm believer that a strong and formidable coalition is the only key to unseating the dictator that has tormented and held Zimbabwe at ransom for the past 36 years.
“The PDP firmly believes that there is need for unity of purpose to create a new Zimbabwe.”
However, two conspicuous absentees from the deal include the MDC-T led by former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai and ex-vice president Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF).
ZimPF spokesman Rugare Gumbo said they were still studying the deal while MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora said they were not invited.
“We will not force ourselves on anyone. So this CODE thing, we do not know about it and we were never advised about it,” Mwonzora told NewZimbabwe.com in an interview.
“We are a mass party and MDC-T is against anything that looks like an elite pact.
“We do not know their logic, what they stand for, their objectives and some of them were heard saying they did not want MDC-T to be part of them.”
COMMENTS
The nation envisages a day when either Morgan Tsvangirai or Joice Mujuru is President and the other the Prime Minister in a proper coalition. We do not mind which is which on positions for as long as there is a genuine power sharing arrangement where the two will work as a team. The coalition government had a potential of giving a foretaste of what working together is capable of. It was just stalled by the evil ZANU diehards. They have reversed everything that the government of national unity had achieved. Companies are closing down. The food situation is dire. The road infrustructure is in a sorry state. The health institutions are in intensive care. Unemployment is rampant. Schools are deteriorating by the day. Nothing is functional here. Let MDC-T and ZimPF hear our cry and coalese for the good of this country. The fringe parties should not be taken as spoilers. They need to be engaged too. Otherwise all that appears in future is gloom and death for the country that Rhodes and company created out of tribal groupings of spear wielding occupants of part of this now defined counrty.
MDC and ZPF much join! Come on you parties. You can do it!