MDC in talks to forge a united front against Mugabe
By Tichaona Sibanda
3 December 2007

Over two years after the acrimonious split in the MDC, rival leaders of the two factions are expected to meet this week for discussions designed to bridge their differences.
The crucial meeting between Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara comes at a time when the MDC is expected to announce a major decision concerning their participation in the SADC sponsored talks in South Africa.

A highly placed source told Newsreel on Monday that Tsvangirai and Mutambara and their close aides were to meet ‘very soon’ to finalise a deal to unite the two factions that split on 11th October 2005.
The fear of splitting the opposition vote and handing Mugabe a victory on a silver platter may have forced both factions to try and reconcile their differences before next year’s elections. Secret talks have been held recently over the unification pact between the two factions.

Our source said top of the agenda at the planned talks would be the sensitive issue of seat allocations, especially in urban constituencies. The two sides have agreed in principal that Tsvangirai will lead a united opposition MDC in next year’s general election.

As a concession, it is believed they would let all MPs from the Mutambara faction seek re-election without going through party primaries. Political analyst Glen Mpani indicated that the opposition stands a better chance of dislodging Mugabe if they fight the poll as a united party.

‘Talks to unite both factions are long overdue and it is no secret that facing a repressive regime like Mugabe’s, it is better off fighting him as a united party that a fragmented opposition,’ Mpani said.
If the rival opposition factions can reach agreement on a set of proposals, it would increase pressure on Mugabe’s regime. It’s not yet clear if the two sides can agree on a common set of demands. If they do, it would certainly make life more difficult for the authorities. For the moment all these moves appear to be part of what could become a long drawn-out political process; and the meeting of rival opposition leaders is just the first tentative step towards trying to rebuild the unity that was lost over two years ago.

Mpani believes the fragmented nature of the opposition in the country has helped sustain the regime in Zimbabwe. Many Zimbabweans have been subjected to untold horrors for over 9 years under the Zanu-PF Party rule. Opposition activists are arrested and imprisoned on a daily basis with no due process or the application of basic human rights.

The Tsvangirai led faction is believed to have sent a letter to President Thabo Mbeki on Saturday with an ultimatum saying that unless Zanu-PF stops the violence against the MDC immediately, they will pull out of the talks as a matter of principle.

‘This was a message sent to Zanu-PF through Mbeki. Though the MDC is not expecting any positive answers, they nonetheless are going to make an announcement about the talks this week,’ the source said.

Tsvangirai on Sunday dismissed as ‘paper discussions’ the ongoing talks with Zanu-PF. He said if people checked how far the talks had gone in the last five months; ‘they would see it was just paper discussions’.