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Mr Tendai Biti

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
OPPOSITION parties which are part of the coalition talks have not yet endorsed MDC-T leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai as their presidential candidate for next year’s polls, People’s Democratic Party’s president Mr Tendai Biti has said.

Addressing the Bulawayo Press Club on Thursday evening, Mr Biti said there are about 15 “serious” opposition parties in the country and their leaders have the capacity to lead the coalition.

Mr Biti’s claims are in contrast with reports that Mr Tsvangirai has been endorsed to lead opposition parties in the 2018 elections.

Mr Tsvangirai seems to be convinced that he will lead the coalition and earlier this month he boldly declared that he will not accept electoral defeat, but if Mr Biti’s remarks are any indication, the MDC-T leader seems to be putting the cart before the horse.

Mr Biti said he was happy with the way negotiations were progressing and the coalition leader’s post is still up for grabs.

“I’m very hopeful and I think when every leader goes into that room they should accept that the next leader can be the leader. Any candidate in the coalition is a sellable candidate. Morgan Tsvangirai is a sellable candidate, Joice Mujuru is a sellable candidate, Welshman Ncube (MDC) is a sellable candidate, Tendai Biti is a sellable candidate and can lead the coalition. We are going to choose, we are going to have discussions around leadership and I don’t think that the leadership is going to bog us down,” said Mr Biti.

He admitted that opposition parties were very weak to defeat Zanu-PF as individual parties.

“What is critical is that are we able to work together, do we have the same common objectives? People are finding each other.  There is sincerity in the discussions that have been taking place.  Everyone understands that none of us can defeat Zanu-PF on our own [so] we have to create a team,” he said.

Mr Biti said instead of riding on personalities, it was critical for the opposition to sell ideas that address the problems affecting the country. Today leaders of nine political parties under the Coalition for Democrats (CODE), an umbrella that excludes Mr Tsvangirai are set to converge at the Amphitheatre in Bulawayo to deliberate on progress made in the coalition talks.

— @nqotshili