Zimbabwe opposition to start election campaign

HARARE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's opposition said Friday it will start its election campaign with a Sunday rally in the sprawling, poverty-ridden township of Epworth, situated on the eastern periphery of the capital Harare.

The rally will be held under the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) Alliance, a loose coalition of seven opposition political parties seeking to challenge the ruling ZANU-PF in the polls set for mid this year.

The alliance is led by ailing MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai who is currently in South Africa for treatment of colon cancer.

Tsvangirai disclosed in 2016 that he has colon cancer and has been in and out of hospital since then.

Tsvangirai's spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, said in a statement that the rally will kick start the 2018 MDC Alliance campaign, and will be addressed by various leaders of the parties to the Alliance.

"The MDC Alliance leaders will speak to the current crisis engulfing the country as well as urge citizens to register to vote during the one-month extended mop up voter registration exercise," Tamborinyoka said.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced this week that elections could be held in the next four to five months.

Mnangagwa, who has been nominated as the ruling ZANU-PF presidential candidate in the polls, took over from former President Robert Mugabe who resigned last November. Enditem