Harare, Zimbabwe (News of the South) – The much expected opposition grand coalition, which will face off against President Mugabe’s Zanu PF in the 2018 elections, is set to be finalised by the end of the month according to MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai .
Speaking to media personnel on Wednesday after signing an MOU with Jacob Ngarivhume of Transform Zimbabwe, Tsvangirai said his party is open to all opposition leaders willing to work for change.
“We are targeting the end of July to end these bilateral discussions and we are open to anyone who wants to discuss with us. ”
“Once this is agreed, then we will have an alliance agreement and we will be able to have a strategy for elections because I think time is running out and we need to sit down and see how we can tackle the question of elections”, he said.
The veteran politician said the speedy end to negotiations for the coalition would avail time for campaigning and preparation for the watershed elections which may bring in the first President of Zimbabwe other than Mugabe since independence 37 years ago.
“All coalition discussions should end by the end of this month and that the party should now engage in organisational work, which is preparing for elections, continue with networking (and) building networks.”
Emphasising the importance of cohesion Tsvangirai states that it was no longer time to engage in divisive disputes that will derail any likely change for the embattled Southern African country.
“We don’t want another dispute because any dispute that is going to arise out of this forthcoming election will condemn this country for the next five years to lack of progress, to poverty and, of course, lack of jobs,” he said.
The former Prime Minister reiterated his confidence for a victory despite the absence of the needed electoral reforms.
“For me, the 2018 election, we are going to win it, even in the face of rigging circumstances”
“We are going to win it and I want to encourage every Zimbabwean to have a mentality of saying we are going to make change come 2018.
“It doesn’t matter what Zanu PF can do, this is the year in which the people of Zimbabwe will rescue themselves from this authoritarian regime.”
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