By Paul Nyathi|Desperate Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe leader Elton Mangoma has launched his preconceived Coalition of Democrats, CODE.

Mangoma launched his coalition in a very low key event with just about 100 people at the Freedom Square in the capital on Saturday.

The former MDC-T Deputy Treasurer unveiled his coalition which he claimed housed five political parties his RDZ, Dumiso Dabengwa’s ZAPU, Mavambo/Khusile/Dawn led by Simba Makoni, African Democratic Party led by Marcellin Chikasha and a ZimFirst faction led by Derreck Lupemba.

Of the so called principals to the coalition only his self confessed loyal follower Lupemba attended the launch.

Dabengwa and Chikasha announced their pull out from the coalition on the eve of the launch and advised all their members not to attend the launch.

The official ZimFirst led by Dr Maxwell Zeb Shumba pulled out of the coalition at the beginning of March leaving faction leader Lupemba in the coalition.

The party through its lawyers warned Mangoma on Friday to withdraw its name from all CODE activities as it was no longer a part of the coalition.

Dabengwa and Chikasha also advised Mangoma of their withdrawal from the coalition ordering him not to use their party names at the launch of the coalition.

All the parties that pulled out of the coalition accused Mangoma of being a dictator who enjoys centralised power and decision making.

Simba Makoni of MKD was a surprise no show at the launch as he has not made any official withdrawal from the coalition.

Addressing the handful group most of whom were just passers by and family members, Mangoma said that they are willing to join hands with others coalitions including the MDC Alliance provided dictatorship issues and presidential powers are dealt with first.

Mangoma said the party was being accused of being hot-headed by refusing to join with other coalitions when in actual fact they have issues they need to be resolved for an opposition grand to work.

“We currently have three coalitions, CODE, MDC Alliance and the Rainbow Coalition, we want to unite with others but we have three things that we want to be addressed first,” he said.

“We are not hot-headed simply because we want Mangoma to be president. We don’t want any more dictators so if someone doesn’t want the reduction of Presidential powers we cannot support them. We cannot have one centre of power.

“Our political representatives for the five parties under CODE, no one can differentiate which party they are coming from, we select the best based on merit because we want the work to be done, however in other coalitions positions are given by force and principals want their own people in Parliament who follow them such that when they disobey they recall them from their seats.

“Thirdly is the issue of dictatorship and forcing candidates on people, we are democrats and people should choose their leaders by themselves, these are the things hindering unity otherwise we can negotiate with others,” said Mangoma.

Mangoma would not give ZimEye.com a comment on the flopped launch of the coalition.