PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has accused Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube of leading a “regional party”, insisting that his MDC-T party does not need the breakaway faction to dislodge Zanu PF from power.

Opposition parties faced accusations of giving Zanu PF a kiss of life after the 2008 general elections by failing to forge a united front, but Tsvangirai says his rivals made demands that were not acceptable.

“I want to tell you that we won the last election, even if there was a split in the MDC. So it’s not an excuse that uniting the two formations is necessarily equals victory. We can still win, we have the support of the people,” Tsvangirai said in an interview with a French magazine published on Thursday.

Showing no appetite for a reunification, Tsvangirai suggested the two parties could “work together” based on an agreed formula, without necessarily dismantling the dividing line.

He told the Paris-based Africa Report: “If you were to ask the smaller MDC if we differ in any policy framework, you would find that there is not a huge difference. And I think the people are not deceived by these superficial divisions that sometimes are based on individual, selfish interests and not on the collective good.

“To me it will always be essential to have peace talks; at the appropriate time we will talk to them and find out whether they still feel that they can go it alone.

“Now they have retreated to be regional party; so I don’t think that is healthy for uniting the people. So we will have to put that into consideration, as to whether they want to be a national flag or (sic).”

A 2005 split in the MDC saw the two parties contest the 2008 general elections separately, and Tsvangirai’s party – registered with the Electoral Commission as MDC-T – won 100 seats to 10 for Ncube’s party – the MDC – in the parliamentary elections. Zanu PF had 99 MPs.

In a presidential vote held at the same time, Ncube’s MDC did not field a candidate, choosing instead to back independent Simba Makoni. Official results showed Tsvangirai leading President Mugabe with 47.9 percent to 43.2 percent in the first round, while Makoni came third with 8,3 percent.

The outcome triggered a run-off in line with a constitutional requirement that the winner of the presidential race must poll at least 50.01 percent of the total votes. The run-off was marred by violence and boycotted by Tsvangirai, leading to the formation of a compromise power sharing government.

Some political analysts were critical of the opposition parties at the time, pointing out that if a coalition had been forged, Makoni’s 8,3 percent would have taken Tsvangirai over the line and delivered a decisive victory.

Tsvangirai said: “There’s always been a prospect of uniting all progressive anti-Zanu PF formations. But we have tried it before; there were so many excuses and demands that we found unacceptable.

“Uniting the MDC against Zanu PF isn’t a panacea for the victory for democratic movement. What is important is that there could be a basis of working together, which we would encourage. We have been very open for a long time.

“The democratic movement is not something that is just confined to the MDC. You have the whole civil society there; people who want to see democracy restored in the country. We have been working very hard to democratise the country and we have champions there, we can work with them.”