Zimbabwe Presidential Hopeful Makoni Urged To Seek Opposition Allies
The former finance minister's bid to become Zimbabwe’s next president has generated much excitement and changed the very nature of the 
Advisors to Simba Makoni, the former Zimbabwean finance minister who threw down the gauntlet to President Robert Mugabe this week by announcing his candidacy for president in March elections, have urged him to forge a strategic alliance with the opposition given signs he may not garner much open ruling party support. Makoni said Tuesday when he announced his candidacy that senior ZANU-PF figures would soon join him, but sources close to Makoni say this was a tactical error given a harsh ruling party response that could sway others from declaring open backing. ZANU-PF insiders told VOA that the Central Intelligence Organization has submitted a report to Mr. Mugabe advising him that Makoni's bid to displace him from the highest office in the land is not likely to shake the ruling party to its foundations. The report warned the ZANU-PF leadership not to send new supporters to Makoni by mishandling its ongoing primary elections, which could alienate office seekers. The ZANU-PF elections directorate is said to have been flooded with complaints about alleged irregularities in primaries, including announcements saying that candidates were unopposed though primaries were still being organized. Sources said that the president has taken direct charge of the party response to the complaints. A number of Mr. Mugabe's ministers have been defeated in party primaries, possibly reflecting disenchantment at the party's grass roots. Makoni’s candidacy has drawn mixed reactions across the political spectrum. The ruling party has reviled him as a “traitor" while one leading liberation war veteran issued a thinly veiled threat. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change faction led by MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai has called him an "opportunist," while the rival faction headed by Arthur Mutambara has welcomed Makoni's entry as a candidate. There have been persistent rumors of a Makoni-Mutambara alliance in the making. Though many have voiced reservations about Makoni's intentions, Wakatama said the former cabinet member's bid to become Zimbabwe’s next president has generated a lot of excitement on the ground and changed the very nature of the contest.