Opp coalition: MDC-T says never invited

Source: Opp coalition: MDC-T says never invited – NewZimbabwe01/06/2016

THE MDC-T party says it was not invited to join the recently formed Coalition of Democrats (CODE) opposition alliance, adding that it would not, in any case, participate in what looks like an “looks like an elite pact”.

Opposition groups led by the likes of former cabinet ministers Simba Makoni, Welshman Ncube and Elton Mangoma, earlier this week, announced the formation of CODE an alliance that also ropes in an assortment of other smaller parties.

The coalition, created to present a more formidable challenge to President Robert Mugabe in the 2018 elections, also has the backing of Tendai Biti’s People’s Democratic Party and Zapu which is led by Dumiso Dabengwa.

The alliance was sealed in Harare on Tuesday but excluded Zimbabwe First which is led by former vice president Joice Mujuru and Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T.

Zimbabwe People First spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo, said: “We are interested and have no problems in joining other parties for the good of the people.”

But MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora told NewZimbabwe.com that were not invited to be part of the arrangement, adding that they were not obligated to join anyway.

He explained: “We do not just join. Why should we join them?

“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.

‘We have the numbers’

Continuing, Mwonzora added: (There is) freedom of association.

“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 said MDC-T does not only “have numbers, but the has talent, vision and determination” needed to remove President Robert Mugabe’s “failed government”.

He said his party is busy organising Zimbabweans around issues like “unemployment, corruption, poverty and the stolen $15 billion by Mugabe and his cronies”.

“To date we have joined 11 other (political) parties under the National Election Reform Agenda (NERA) to remove Mugabe’s dictatorship and have organised two successful demonstrations.”

Speaking at the signing ceremony for the CODE alliance in Harare on Tuesday, coalition member and Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ) leader Elton Mangoma insisted that all opposition parties invited to join the initiative.
“All opposition parties were invited to the conversations that took place,” he explained.

“Some indicated their un-readiness to work with others but, today, we say the doors are still open and, if they choose not to be with us come 2018, they will have chosen to do so on their own will.

“We are saying to them; Let us start afresh.”

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