Zimbabwe's opposition leader said today his party had backed his controversial decision to boycott next month's senate polls, but a top-ranking party official said local groups might not fall into line.
A dispute over whether to participate in the elections on November 26th has been threatening to split the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the party that came closest to unseating President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF from power in 2000.
MDC party leader Morgan Tsvangirai says the polls are a part of a drive by Mr Mugabe's party to tighten its grip on power, but other MDC leaders fear that if the opposition does not take part, it will be further edged out of national politics.
Mr Tsvangirai said in a statement the national executive, the organ that runs the MDC's daily affairs, had backed his boycott stance and pledged action to demand a new constitution to ensure a "truly independent commission" runs Zimbabwe's elections and for a president to be limited to two terms in office.
Mr Tsvangirai's spokesman William Bango said although some officials opposing Mr Tsvangirai's stance had not attended a meeting today, the meeting had a quorum.
Earlier this week, MDC Vice President Gibson Sibanda said Mr Tsvangirai had flouted the party's constitution and breached its provisions by overriding the national council, the party's top decision-making body, which voted 33 to 31 in favour of contesting the ballot.
Mr Sibanda, who did not attend today's meeting, was not immediately available for comment.