THE two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions say they are ready to gang up to ensure old rival President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party fall in the next election to be held possibly next year.
Morgan Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube have become bitter rivals after the MDC broke up in October 2005, with the former trade unionist leading the larger and more successful formation.
Ncube’s formation has a small but decisive number in Parliament and enjoys support in parts of Matabeleland.
Successive failure to remove Mugabe despite winning a combined majority could now bring the former comrades turned foes together in the next election.
Leaders of both parties say the idea is workable.
But their biggest challenge, however, is that no one amongst them is prepared to take the first step to seek an alliance, according to interviews with top officials in both formations.
“As an institution we are prepared to work with any other institution that shares the same values and interests with us and the same strategic goals,” MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti told the Daily News on Sunday.
Ncube said he was warm to the idea but would wait to be invited claiming Tsvangirai spurned his advances in the 2008 elections.
“We went out of our way to try and build a coalition and that’s why we negotiated and agreed on a coalition which would have seen all of us supporting Tsvangirai as our presidential candidate in 2008 but MDC-T rejected and we were left on a lurch,” said MDC President Welshman Ncube.
Ncube said his party’s commitment has “never wavered” but “this time round we will not put our best people and we will not devote a great deal of our time to the pursuit of that (alliance)”.
“We will always be open as a political party any time for any conversation around working together with anybody else in the things we believe in so we are open on that,” said Ncube.
There is a possibility that the country might hold elections next year after the drafting and possible adoption of a new constitution as well as the implementation of electoral reforms being spearheaded by the regional Sadc bloc.
Political party negotiators this week agreed on election roadmap timelines which among other things bar Mugabe from making a unilateral decision on the proclamation of election dates.
Parties however, are yet to agree on security sector reforms, staffing of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), deployment of soldiers around the country, the issue of foreign monitors and amendments to harsh media and security laws.
In 2008 the two formations cumulatively got more votes than Mugabe and his party.
Tsvangirai garnered more votes than Mugabe in the March 2008 presidential election but not enough to remove the 87-year-old from power.
The two MDC formations got a combined 109 parliamentary seats while Zanu PF got 99 seats.
This is minus figures polled by minor political parties such as Simba Makoni’s Mavambo Kusile Dawn (MKD).
Analysts note that despite the personal hatred and mistrust between Tsvangirai and Ncube, circumstances could force the two to work together.
“They can work together. In fact it is the logical thing to do but they must overcome their personal differences,” said political analyst, Ibbo Mandaza.
“They have more in common and the country needs strong cohesive parties to fight Mugabe rather than fragmented ones,” he said.
The two formations admit as much.
“As always in these matters, the devil is always in the detail and that is why in the past people have failed to reach an agreement,” said Biti. “There is no doubt that all democratic political leadership in this country have a duty to work together either in a popular or united front to build a new Zimbabwe.”
On his part, Ncube said: “Our party, even after the painful split and in spite of our differences and we should acknowledge them and genuinely deal with them—nonetheless said we can still try and work together in the things that we agree on.”
Zanu PF secretary for administration and top Mugabe ally Didymus Mutasa said his party would not seek an alliance with any of its coalition government partners.
“If they are uniting for a good purpose we praise that and we wish them well. But let them know that Zanu PF is ready to face them in free and fair elections devoid of MDC inspired violence,” said Mutasa.