(Last Updated on August 29, 2013 by Editor)
HARARE – MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and top party officials spent yesterday locked in a secret retreat meeting as the opposition leader rallied his troops for a way forward after disputed polls won by President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF.
MDC-T maps way forward after disputed polls
Amid reports of deepening fissures in the ex-majority party caused by a poor showing in the July 31 polls, Tsvangirai is leaving nothing to chance as he is now regrouping but the strategies they agreed on were not yet public at the time of going to press yesterday.
Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson confirmed the two-day retreat of the party’s top brass.
“The executive council meetings are regular but I cannot divulge much because I am not the party’s spokesperson. What I can tell you is that the MDC leader (Tsvangirai) whom I represent is also attending the meeting,” said Tamborinyoka.
Yesterday, in a Facebook post, Tsvangirai urged his supporters to remain resilient.
“Failure is not final. When life hands you a defeat, move on. Major setbacks often produce major comebacks. When grand opportunities are lost move on, beyond disappointment, there’s life. Beyond pain, there are lessons. LOOK! LEARN! LIVE! Live for a new day. There is hope for the future,” said Tsvangirai.
MDC spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora confirmed to the Daily News that the party is mapping the way forward. “We are discussing the way forward ion view of developments in the country as well as in the region. We are determined to fight for out political space,” he said.
Although the MDC alleges that the July 31 polls were rigged, the courts and Sadc — guarantors of the past shaky coalition government, have already endorsed Mugabe as the duly elected leader leaving Tsvangirai and his MDC with few options but to regroup.
Within the MDC, there are reports that a group of officials are pushing for Tsvangirai’s resignation in the so-called leadership renewal plot.
Before the 2018 polls, the MDC will hold an elective congress in 2016, where Tsvangirai’s leadership qualities or credentials are likely to take centre stage.
Insiders told the Daily News yesterday that the MDC leader was aware that there are some within his party who are eying his post and the former Prime Minister is said to be battling to save the party from dividing into two camps.
Tsvangirai whose party has filed 39 poll petitions — paying an astronomical $390 000 for the cases to be heard, claims that the July 31 general elections, where his bitter rival Mugabe and his Zanu PF romped to a sweeping victory, were rigged.
Mugabe, in power since the attainment of independence from Britain, won 61 percent of the votes cast in the presidential election, giving him a renewed commanding position over the country he has controlled for the past 33 years.
His party, Zanu PF’s “super majority” of 158 of the 210 Parliament seats now enables it to make amendments to the new constitution and existing laws. Daily News
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