The two opposition formations that broke away from former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s main Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), on Wednesday announced their re-unification pledging to work together to unsit President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party in the next elections.
The MDC formation led by Welshman Ncube and the MDC Renewal Team formed a new party that they are calling United MDC.
Speaking at the re-unification ceremony, interim president of the MDC Renewal Team, Sekai Holland, said they found it necessary to re-unite in order to mount a strong challenge to Zanu PF in the next elections and offer a solution to the economic problems afflicting many Zimbabweans today.
Ncube said it was also necessary for the two MDC formations to return to the founding values and principles of the opposition of 1999.
Ncube led a rebellion against Tsvangirai in October 2005 over disagreements on whether to participate in the re-introduced senatorial elections while former finance minister Tendai Biti also parted ways with Tsvangirai and his team after the opposition’s heavy loss to Zanu PF in last year’s election saying the MDC needed new blood to steer its struggle for democracy forward.
But independent political analyst Sydney Masamvu said all opposition forces in the country need to work together if they were to mount a strong challenge to President Mugabe and his ruling Zanu PF party.
Some civil society organizations and foreign diplomats also attended today’s event.
