Political Reporter
Plans by the leader of the MDC Alliance Nelson Chamisa to form an electoral pact with some political parties ahead of the 2023 elections have unsettled senior members of his party who fear that they might lose their positions.
A source who spoke to this publication said Chamisa was planning to form a coalition with Dr Noah Manyika’s Build Zimbabwe Alliance (BZA), Jacob Ngarivhume’s Transform Zimbabwe (TZ), Lovemore Moyo’s United Movement for Devolution (UMD) and Blessing Kasiyamhuru’s Zimbabwe Partnership for Prosperity (ZIPP).
“Chamisa is planning to form a new coalition ahead of the 2023 elections. He is in talks with Dr Manyika, Moyo, Kasiyamhuru and Ngarivhume with a view to forging a coalition which will take on President Mnangagwa in the next elections. The coalition is likely to be called Citizens Convergence for Change (CCC),” said the source.
The source added that the coalition would greatly affect the leadership of the MDC Alliance as some of them will have to pave way for the Alliance partners.
“If the coalition plans become successful, Tendai Biti, Lynnette Karenyi Kore and Welshman Ncube will lose their positions as vice presidents of the MDC Alliance. Manyika, Ngarivhume and Moyo will be the vice presidents of the new coalition. Kasiyamhuru will be the secretary general while Ncube will be appointed as the spokesperson for the coalition. Kore will be the chairperson while Biti will assume the position of the treasurer.
“We don’t know if the MDC Alliance leaders will embrace the proposed structure of the coalition as it will leave them with no influence,” added the source.
The source said that the entire MDC Alliance national executive would be disbanded as per the coalition agreement and a new slogan, logo and regalia for the coalition would be introduced before 2023.
Chamisa is believed to be pushing for Dr Nkosana Moyo, leader of the Alliance for the People’s Agenda (APA), to be part of the coalition despite the latter’s recent scathing criticism of former’s political immaturity.
Chamisa contested 2018 presidential elections as leader of the MDC Alliance, a coalition of seven parties, and was defeated by President Mnangagwa. The MDC Alliance crumbled soon after Chamisa’s defeat with Ngarivhume walking out citing political discord within the Alliance.
