FORMER MDC secretaries general Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube have started talks aimed uniting their two political formations amid ongoing broader consultations for a grand opposition alliance against the ruling Zanu PF party.
Ncube, the MDC's founding secretary general, and several senior leaders broke ranks with then MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2005, accusing him of dictatorship and using violence against individuals who did not agree with him in the party.
Similarly Biti, who took over from Ncube, and other disgruntled top officials also ditched Tsvangirai this year over pretty much the same reasons as discontent boiled over after the MDC-T's disastrous performance in last year's elections.
The former finance minister has since formed the MDC Renewal Team which is being transformed into a political party after they failed to force Tsvangirai out of power.
In a statement released Wednesday following a meeting between Biti and the MDC-Ncube's secretary general, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to commence talks.
"The two secretary generals of the MDC and the MDC Renewal Team, Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Biti with their negotiation teams respectively met today in Harare as mandated by their political parties and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to officially commence talks on reunification.
"The basis for the re-unification is based on the common history, bond and the origins of the Movement for Democratic Change as formed in 1999," said a statement posted on Biti's MDC-Renewal group website.
The two groups also committed themselves to continue to grand coalition talks with other opposition parties in the country.
"The talks will be guided by the shared values and principles of the MDC which include tolerance, the rule of law, peace, democracy, gender equality and a servant leadership," read the statement.
"The two formations are convinced of the necessity and imperative of the reunification as an important step towards achieving national progress and achievement of the ultimate goal of a democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe.
"However, the two political parties will continue to be part of the grand coalition talks and consultations in which the two parties have been involved in and are fully committed".
Ncube's MDC, the Simba Makoni-fronted Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn party, Dumiso Dabengwa's Zapu and the Renewal group are in the middle of talks to form a grand coalition that will contest the 2018 elections.
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