WASHINGTON DC —
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) secretary general and former Finance Minister Tendai Biti says he is not preparing to take over the leadership of the party as Morgan Tsvangirai remains the legitimately elected president of the labor-based movement.
In an exclusive interview with Studio 7, Mr. Biti refuted allegations that he wants to topple the former prime minister in order to revive the party which lost dismally to President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party in the July 31st elections.
The party claims that the elections were rigged by Zanu-PF in conjunction with an Israeli company named as Nikuv International.
He said choosing a leader lies with the party congress expected to be held in 2016.
Some MDC-T members have openly called for leadership renewal following the party’s heavy defeat in the July general elections.
The party recently reprimanded Ian Kay, who lost the Marondera Central parliamentary seat to Zanu-PF, after he called for a leadership renewal in the MDC-T.
Mr. Kay was qouted by the NewsDay newspaper as having said, “There is need to plan ahead before the ship sinks and if there is need to change the coach, then let it be. Or should I say it is like a rusty bolt? There is need for it to be removed and replaced with a new one rather than leave it like that,” .
At the same time, South African-based MDC T Treasurer MrRoy Bennett, also called for a leadership renewal, though the two avoided mentioning names.
But Mr. Biti said it is only through devine forces that a leader is chosen.
"As a student of history and as a Christian, ambition can be very dangerous because it's devine forces, it's God who put people where they are so this business of trying to anticipate and have conspiracy theories is ahistorical," he added.
