- Title: Zimbabwe opposition reunites to challenge Mugabe
- Date: 5th August 2017
- Summary: HARARE, ZIMBABWE (AUGUST 5, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE SUPPORTERS DANCING AND SINGING
- Embargoed: 19th August 2017 18:32
- Keywords: Zimbabwe main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe politics President Robert Mugabe
- Location: HARARE, ZIMBABWE
- City: HARARE, ZIMBABWE
- Country: Zimbabwe
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0016SVQATJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Saturday (August 5) reunited with his former allies to agree a pre-election pact to challenge President Robert Mugabe's near four-decade hold on power at the polls next year.
Mugabe, 93, has ruled the former British colony since independence in 1980.
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has been the main threat to Mugabe since its formation in 1999 but has been weakened by splits, in 2005 and 2014, mainly over strategy.
On Saturday, Welshman Ncube, who led a break-away MDC faction in 2004 and Tendai Biti, who left the main opposition in 2014, signed a pact that would see them fielding parliamentary candidates in some constituencies under the MDC Alliance banner and would support Tsvangirai's fourth bid for the presidency.
At the pact signing event in Harare, Tsvangirai said all opposition parties must unite. Ncube added the objective was to remove ZANU-PF and Mugabe. "Anything else is besides the point," he added. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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