The Herald
By The Herald Reporter
6 July 2013
MDC and Zapu have forged an alliance ahead of the July 31 harmonised elections in a move that will result in candidates from the two political parties working together and supporting each other during campaigns.
The presidents of Zapu, Dr Dumiso Dabengwa, and MDC, Professor Welshman Ncube, announced this during a joint Press conference at a hotel in Bulawayo yesterday.
Dr Dabengwa said discussions for the formation of the alliance started in December with the two parties forming technical teams to look into the modalities.
“We are meeting today at a historic event for the Matabeleland region and Zimbabwe at large to inform the nation and our supporters of our efforts as per demands by the people of the region to come together as Zapu and MDC in order to forge an alliance.
“We started our discussions as early as December last year but due to our busy schedules we could not be able to meet regularly. We agreed to work together as a united front,†he said.
“We also agreed that in any constituency or ward where one party has not fielded a candidate, the other party will mobilise its members and supporters to vote for the other party’s candidate.â€
According to a joint Zapu and MDC communiqué, signed by Prof Ncube and Dr Dabengwa, the two parties agreed that they would not discuss or enter into a pact or coalition with any other party other than with each other.
“We have also pledged to back each other and should either of the parties win the election, we will form a coalition government,†said Dr Dabengwa.
Prof Ncube said the alliance was aimed at expanding the level of co-operation that would go beyond the election.
“In areas with candidates from both MDC and Zapu contesting, we will continue with conversation with each other and dialogue remains open in respect of all electoral seats from presidency to council.
“More crucially for the future of our country, the agreement goes beyond elections. Whatever the outcome we will work together and when engaging with another party we will do so jointly,†he said.
Zapu has fielded 50 candidates for the National Assembly seats in all the country’s 10 provinces while MDC has 200 candidates after 10 of its candidates were disqualified by the Nomination Court.
Prof Ncube said despite the alliance between his MDC and Zapu, it remains the individual candidate’s prerogative to voluntarily withdraw from the race and support the candidate from the other party.
Zapu candidate for the National Assembly seat in Bulawayo East, former Highlanders Football Club chairman, Mr Rodger Muhlwa formally withdrew his nomination papers to back MDC candidate, Mr David Coltart.
Prof Ncube said his MDC and Zapu agreed that in any constituency and ward, where one party has not fielded a candidate the party will mobilise its members and supporters to vote for the other party’s candidate.
Responding to questions from journalists, Dr Dabengwa also disclosed that he met MDC-T treasurer, Mr Roy Bennett, in South Africa and they also discussed the issue of a coalition.
He, however, said they did not agree on his coalition idea because it already had structures that were not in favour of Zapu.
“I have been having a lot of offers. Bennett tried and I think we did not understand each other and the coalition structures as he already had his which were not in our favour.
“Last week, MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai also approached Zapu and I did not request for anything and we did not agree on anything because the coalition seemed to be in favour of MDC-T as the presidency had already been pre-determined,†said Dr Dabengwa.
He said Mr Tsvangirai’s coalition approach in the past six days was overtaken by events.
Eyebrows were, however, raised as to why Dr Dabengwa was talking of Bennett as if he was separate from MDC-T amid reports a split was imminent in the party ahead of 2016.