Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Makoni submit papers for presidential race

By Tichaona Sibanda
15 February 2008

The country’s presidential race turned into a political fiasco on Friday when independent candidate Simba Makoni disclosed he would not be joining forces with the MDC led by Arthur Mutambara.
The rocket scientist had addressed a press conference in the capital where he announced he was withdrawing his candidature to rally behind Makoni and form an alliance with the former finance minister. But after he successfully filed his nomination papers, Makoni surprised journalists waiting outside Mashonganyika Building in Harare along Samora Machel Avenue when he told them he was not going into an alliance with anyone contesting the elections.
Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa told us Makoni told them in his own words that; ‘I’m not aligned to anybody and that I remain independent.’ This has left the Mutambara MDC without a presidential candidate.
‘This is an alliance that has gone horribly wrong. The Mutambara faction has been left exposed and shocked at events that took place 10 minutes apart. Makoni disassociated himself from Mutambara, 10 minutes after he had addressed a press conference announcing this alliance,’ Muchemwa said.
The presidential race has now turned into a three-horse contest. Zanu-PF leader Robert Mugabe and MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai had their papers successfully filed for them by their aides, while Makoni handed in his nomination papers in person.
It has emerged that Mutambara will now contest the Zengeza West parliamentary seat in Chitungwiza, where he will face former trade unionist Collin Gwiyo, representing the MDC faction led by Tsvangirai. Former war veterans’ leader Patrick Nyaruwata will contest the seat on behalf of Zanu PF.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa, who filed papers on behalf of Tsvangirai, said it was just a two-way race between Zanu-PF and the MDC.

Chamisa told us that in their view Zanu-PF was represented by two factions, one led by Simba Makoni, the other by Robert Mugabe. The MDC was going to be represented by the Morgan Tsvangirai

He added; ‘What is good for us is a divided Zanu-PF which is going to be mincemeat for us. Besides being an easier competitor they are now a weaker opponent as their rigging machinery is now in tatters,’

Emmerson Mnangagwa, the party’s secretary for legal affairs, submitted papers for Mugabe to the nominations court.